Thai Pumpkin Curry

Nothing warms the heart and body like a good curry. Curries come in all shapes and sizes: from a Japanese curry made with stock and wheat flour to Indian dal whose beans act at thickeners. "Curry" is a blanket term for a saucy or stew like dish that is rich in ground spices and herbs. Most curries slow cook so the ingredients (typically vegetables and meat) have time to absorb the flavors and spices.

 

The "heat" in curries has several health benefits. First and foremost, studies show that the main compound in chilies (called capsaicin) has a thermogenic effect that boosts metabolism. Chili peppers can reduce the damaging effects of bad cholesterol and capsaicin may fight inflammation. And my personal favorite: spicy foods boost production of feel-good hormones, such as serotonin. So they may help ease depression and stress AND make you feel more satisfied at the end of your meal. Eat curry for these reasons or eat it because it's just plain delicious. 
 

Thai Pumpkin Curry 

1 tablespoon extra virgin Coconut Oil or Vegetable Oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, grated or minced
1 white onion, diced
1 15oz can of Coconut Milk (I used Thai Kitchen's Light)
1 ½ cup pureed pumpkin
2-3 tablespoon curry paste (I used Thai Kitchen's Green Curry Paste) 
1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce
½ cup raw cashews
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped  
1 head bok choy, chopped
*other veggies: cubed butternut squash, eggplant, cauliflower, bamboo shoots etc
* Optional Protein: 1lb chicken, cut into cubes; 8 jumbo prawns
 
pinch of cinnamon
salt and pepper, to taste
Garnish: basil, shredded coconut, cashews 


Melt the coconut oil in a large pot set to medium high heat. Saute the onion and garlic until fully cooked. Add the coconut milk, curry paste, soy sauce and pumpkin. Heat until well mixed. Add the veggies, cashews and optional protein (chicken or prawns-add 5 minutes earlier). Simmer till veggies are tender but firm (and protein cooked). Serve with brown rice or quinoa and enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable Soup

As I mentioned in my last post, it's that time of year again. Time for Fall, Winter and all the soulful flavors that accompany them. I'd argue that the most distinct dish of these colder seasons is soup.  It is hearty, delicious and capable of warming our mind, body and soul. Aside from the odd summer soups like gazpacho, soup lays claim to these colder days and serves as a companion as we are cozied up inside.

That said, making a good soup can be much less comforting. My previous attempts always seemed to come up short handed... They were edible but lack the "oh my, yum" factor. This soup is relatively easy to make and the roasting of the vegetables beforehand guarantees a soup exploding in flavor rather than one that tastes like store bought vegetable broth (not so "yum"). 

As promised, I will give you a few health factoids about soup... Did you know that people drink less water when it is cold? Furthermore, people are much more likely to drink dehydrating beverages like tea, coffee and alcohol. This means that sneaking in extra hydration is incredibly important. As long as soup doesn't have a ton of salt and has a decent amount of veggies, it is incredibly hydrating. Hydration helps with all bodily functions, increases energy levels, helps brain clarity and clears up skin. If a soup has vegetables, it is safe to assume it is also a great source of vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. Vitamins are essential to good health. Importantly, dietary fiber helps regulate blood cholesterol and blood sugar and aid in weight loss.

  Roasted Vegetable Soup w/ or w/o Chicken

                          6 Beefsteak Tomatoes, Halved
                          2 Carrots, 1/2inch Slices
                          1 Small Zucchini, 1/2inch Slices
                          1 Onion, Diced
                          1 Bell Pepper Chopped
                          1 Yam, 1/2inch Slices
                          2 Leeks, Diced
                          1 teaspoon dried thyme
                          4-5 Garlic Cloves
                          2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
                          4 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth
                          1 Small Bunch Kale, Chopped
                           Salt, pepper and chili flakes to taste
                           Optional:  * 4-8 ounces of Chicken, Cooked and Diced 
                                              * 1 cup Mushrooms, Chopped

Preheat the oven to 425 Degrees. Place the tomatoes, carrots, onion, bell pepper, yam, leeks, mushrooms*, thyme, and garlic on a large roasting pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, stirring occasionally (every 20 minutes for 45 to 60 minutes). Transfer vegetables to a large pot on the stove. Add the vegetable/chicken broth, kale, and chicken*, bring to a boil then simmer for 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Put half the soup in another container and puree the halve still in the soup container with a hand blender or food processor*. Remix the two parts back together.Serve hot, in bowls with crumbled goat cheese, shaved parmesean, fresh basil, and/or pesto. 


Notes: It is not necessary to puree half the soup. The benefit of blending/pureeing is that it creates a "creamy"  consistency without adding any cream or dairy. Another option is pureeing the entire soup which will make a health yet creamy pureed soup. 

Puff Pastry Tart with Three Cheeses

It has been about a month since my last blog post... I promise that I've done lots of cooking and eating in the past month. I just haven't found the time to blog about it. It seems that life is finally starting to get into a rhythm since my move up to Whistler. Soooo.... I've been trying to push my culinary comfort zone and make things I've never made before. The last post was a white wine linguine with mussels which was a lot of first for me. I have never made a white wine sauce nor have I cooked mussels. And let me tell you that I am so happy I challenged myself- the pasta dish was one of the best things I've ever made! So in this adventure I experimented with puff pastry dough (also referred to as philo dough). It is the flaky multi-layered dough that is often used in spanikopita and flaky desserts like apple turnovers.

My brother accidentally defrosted a package of the dough (it typically comes frozen in most grocery stores) and thus, it needed to be used pronto! So I got my foodgawker on and found many people used philo dough to substitute convention wheat crust. Naturally my mind went to savory tarts and pizza and I dreamed up a tart with all my favorite things: mushrooms, carmelized onions, spinach,  zucchini, pesto, cherry tomatoes, chicken AND cheese: feta, parmesan and goat cheese. The great thing is that the tart can be as simple or as complex as you'd like it. I'll give you some ideas as we go :)

Ingredients:

      1 package of philo dough

      olive oil

      1 container pesto

      an assortment of veggies*: mushrooms, carmelized onions, spinach,  zucchini,  tomatoes

      1 chicken breast*

      AND cheese*: feta, parmesan and goat cheese

*other possible ingredients: prosciutto, bacon, olives, artichoke hearts, asparagus, bell peppers, mozzarella, cheddar

Directions:

Thaw the package of pastry (philo) dough according to the package's directions. (Some require thawing over night). Select which ingredients you would like on your tart. It can be as simple as spinach, mushroom and goat cheese OR as complex as mine:  mushrooms, carmelized onions, spinach,  zucchini, pesto, cherry tomatoes, chicken AND cheese: feta, parmesan and goat cheese. The tart comes out best if you pre-cook the majority of the ingredients. For example, if you are using onions, mushrooms, spinach or zucchini, you should saute them in olive oil before putting them into the tart. You should also cook and raw meat like chicken or bacon.

Once you've sauted and pre-cooked all your ingredients. It is time for the fun part! Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the veggies you've chosen with olive oil and pesto- to your desired taste. Set the mixture aside. Roll out puff pastry dough onto lightly floured surface. Brush puff pastry dough with olive oil (or melted butter). You can do this with a pastry/bbq brush or I used my hands. It is best if you separate the dough and brush multiple layers. Place brushed layers flatly in a baking pan- I used a 9 x 13. Layer the dough in such a way that it creates a crust around the pan.

After placing the last piece of dough, brush it with oil as well. Gently spread your vegetable pesto mixture over the tart. Next crumble in the cheese you chose (feta, goat cheese and Parmesan are what I used) as well as what meat you'd like ( I went with chicken). After doing so, put the tart in the oven! Cook for 20-30 minutes til the crust is browned and cheese melted. 

Let it cool a little bit then... enjoy!!

     Other puff pastry ideas including how to make sweet tarts can be found at:      http://foodgawker.com/?s=puff+pastry

South of the Boarder: Spinach Goat Cheese Quesadillas and Chili Rubbed Chicken

My friend decided to spoil me by cooking me a three course meal with a "South of the Border" theme. I'm typically the cook, even though I really enjoy it, it was a nice change. The first course was crackers with a cilantro pesto and fresh mango sliver, the second a spinach goat cheese quesadilla, and the meal was finished off with a chili rubbed chicken with a mango & bell pepper pico (chunky sort of salsa).  Make any part of this meal and you will not be disappointing. If you are really inspired I suggest washing it down with some homemade sangria. 

Cilantro Pesto Appetizer

  Pesto:

       1 bunch cilantro

       1/4 cup olive oil

       salt, pepper and minced garlic to taste

To make the pesto, chop the cilantro very fine and mix with other ingredients to taste. More or less olive oil can be used as well as a food processor. 

Serve pesto on crackers or bread of your choice accompanied with sliced mango or pineapple.

Spinach Goat Cheese Quesadillas

Quesadillas:

     1 bunch spinach

     1 4 oz goat cheese

     1 package shredded mozzarella or other meltable cheese of your choice

     2-4 large flour tortillas

     *1 package queso fresco cheese (a dry mexican cheese)

Wash, dice and saute spinach in olive oil. Take one tortilla and crumble goat cheese, spinach and meltable cheese over the tortilla to your liking. Top with other tortilla and heat in frying pan over medium heat (on both sides) till cheese is melted and tortilla is browned. Cut into fours and serve quesadilla slices with fresh salsa and/or guacamole and (*optionally) crumble queso fresco over top.

Chili Rubbed Chicken

   Chicken:

       1 package of chicken breast (roughly 2 lbs) cut into strips

       1/2 cup chili powder

       2 tablespoons brown sugar

       1 teaspoon black pepper

        2 teaspoons cayenne 

Mix chili powder, brown sugar and cayenne together. Rub mixture all over chicken pieces. Allow to stand for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place on baking sheet (one with sides) and bake for 20-40 minutes checking on and turning the chicken every 5 to 10 minutes. 

Mango and Bell Pepper Pico

  Pico:

         1 or 2 fresh mangos (remove the skins)

         1 red bell pepper

         1/2 bunch chopped cilantro

         1 ripe avocado       

         Salt and pepper and lime juice to taste

    

Dice or cube mango, bell pepper and avocado. In a bowl, mix diced ingredients with cilantro, salt, pepper and lime juice to taste.

Serve Mango Pico over Chili Rubbed Chicken and enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

I made this pizza a couple months ago and have been craving it ever since. It is honestly the best pizza I've ever had. I'm posting it because it is a recipe that can (and should!) be made with BBQ'd ingredients. Since it is barbeque season what could be better than combing grilled delights with earth fired goodness?

The only disclosure I have to make is that the phenomenal eats come with a slightly higher price tag...  this pizza's ingredients are a little pricey but well worth it if you have a free night and want an interactive evening of culinary delights. Wash it down with a good beer or glass of wine and you will be the hero of your next barbeque or dinner party.

 

Aged Cheddar and Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza
      
     Sauce:
1/2 can/jar marinara plus BBQ sauce to taste (BBQ sauce by itself tends to be a little too intense)
 
     Toppings:
                     1 large handful grated aged white cheddar
                     1 large handful sliced smoked mozzarella
                      1/3 grilled (or sauted) onion
                      1/3 grilled (or roasted) red pepper
                      1/2 grilled chicken breast
      Crust:
You're already bbq and making pizza so make it easier on yourself by buying a premade crust or dough and follow the directions. I used Trader Joe's premade crust.
A $1.30 bag of dough makes 2 to 3 thin medium sized pizzas.

Cook!
Make crust according to directions. Add Sauce and Toppings (after barbequing them obviously)
Bake pizza at around 400 degrees for ten or so minutes.. until the toppings are oozy and melted.
Eat & Enjoy :)