Pumpkin Cashew Chicken Curry

This dish is by far the best thing I have made in a LONG time. My neighbor AnnMarie and her family just moved from Okinawa and gave me a bunch of canned pumpkin. I asked her how she used pumpkin and she shared with me this amazing recipe. I am so thankful she did because it was seriously delicious. You can't go wrong with the flavor combinations in this one pot meal - pumpkin, curry, coconut milk, red onion, cinnamon, cilantro, cashews. I added in carrots for additional flavor and veggie content and this dish could easily be adapted for vegetarians if you substituted more veggies for the chicken. After I made it I put it in my crock pot to hang out on warm for several hours and I think it really intensified the flavors.

This is my new favorite recipe and one I will put into our regular dinner rotation. 

Pumpkin Cashew Chicken Curry
Modified from PaleOMG and recommended by AnnMarie (thanks AM!)
Serves 4-5
Printable Version
Ingredients 
2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons ginger 
1 red onion, sliced
2 large carrots, sliced
1/2 can coconut milk 
1 large can of pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup cashews
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon olive oil (or coconut oil)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Pinch of cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro, for garnish 
3 cups of cooked rice (I used Jasmine)

Directions 
Heat large pot or Dutch Oven to medium and add in oil. Add minced garlic and ginger and once fragrant add in chicken and carrots. Cook until chicken is white on all sides. 

Pour in coconut milk, all spices, red onions and pumpkin. 

Raise heat until mixture becomes bubbly, stirring frequently.  Allow to cook until onions have softened, about three minutes. 

This is when I transferred everything to my crock pot but you can also serve it immediately. When ready to eat place on top of rice and garnish with cashews and chopped cilantro. 

Yakisoba

Before we lived in Okinawa I had never heard of yakisoba. It is a a type of stir fry with ramen style noodles and a sweet thick sauce that is very popular here in Okinawa. It's at basically every festival on the island, which is where we usually eat it. I decided I need to try making it at home in our final months here, while I can still get the noodles easily and while I still remember the taste. 
This recipe is based off my friend AnnMarie's recipe. It's one of those dishes that everyone has their own take on. I wanted to try it with shrimp but traditionally pork or chicken is used. I did stay true to the vegetable combination though, using cabbage, carrots, onion, and green onion as a garnish. 

Yakisoba
Printable Version
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil (I used coconut oil but olive or vegetable would work fine too)
Half a head of cabbage, chopped in about 1/2 inch pieces 
8 baby carrots (or 3 regular sized), thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 pound of shrimp, pork or chicken
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or mirin
1 tablespoon ginger
1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce (if you don't have this just add in 2 minced cloves of garlic)
1 package of yakisoba noodles 
Sprinkle of sesame seeds (if desired)

Directions
Heat oil in a wok or large skillet. Add in cabbage, onion and carrots and cook for several minuted until onions are translucent. While the vegetables are cooking whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, rice wine vinegar, ginger, garlic chili sauce (or garlic). Add the sauce to the wok with the meat and stir until heated through. 

Stir in the noodles and serve immediately with a garnish of green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

I made my first batch of homemade chicken noodle soup when one of our good friends and her daughter was sick recently. There really is nothing better than a steaming hot bowl of good old fashioned chicken noodle soup when you aren't feeling well. This recipe made a huge batch so hubby and I also enjoyed it even though we weren't sick! And like most soup recipes, this soup tasted even better the next day. It will be hard to eat  chicken noodle soup from a can after discovering how easy and delicious it is to make myself!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Printable Version
Modified From Food Network.com
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch thick clices
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock
8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups of cooked chicken, shredded
1 handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes until the vegetables are softened but not browned.

Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for five minutes until tender. Fold in the chicken and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper. 

Sprinkle with the chopped parsley before serving. 

Cream of Potato Soup

Here in Okinawa we've had a pretty crazy typhoon season. There have been three pretty large typhoons that swept across our small island in the past couple months and we are very thankful that no one we know sustained any damage from them. For some reason typhoons make me want to cook! I guess it's because we are stuck inside for a couple days while we wait out the storm. During Typhoon Bolaven I woke up wanting comfort food so set about making cream of potato soup. I browsed a couple different recipes before settling on this one from allrecipes.com. It was an excellent recipe that I tweaked a little and made even better by adding in bacon crumbles! It's a filling, belly warming one pot meal that is perfect for any dreary day!

Cream of Potato Soup
Modified from Allrecipes.com 
Printable Version 
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups whole milk or half and half (I used fat free half and half)
3 large potatoes, peeled and chopped (I used six small potatoes)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard powder
3/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon
4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions 
In a large stock pot or Dutch oven saute onion, carrots and garlic in the butter until soft but not browned. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add broth slowly, stirring as you add. Add milk, potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, celery seed, seasoning salt, pepper, parsley, and chicken bouillon.

Allow to simmer and thicken, stirring frequently until the potatoes are cooked through, approximately 25 minutes. Serve warm with bacon crumbles and shredded cheese. 

Honey Balsamic Glazed Roasted Carrots and Green Beans (Gluten Free)

I made this side dish for neighbors who recently had a baby and eat a Gluten Free Diet. I love roasted vegetables, especially roasted carrots. The ingredients are interchangeable because the original recipe calls for beets instead of green beans. I think all three together would be great too. This is one super healthy, very simple way to get your daily dose of veggies.

Honey Balsamic Glazed Roasted Carrots and Green Beans
From Betty Crocker
Printable Version
Ingredients
Two cups of carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
Two cups of fresh green beans, ends snipped off
Olive oil
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Toss the carrots and green beans with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on a roasting pan and roast at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, turning once, until soft and the carrots start to turn golden. 

Combine the balsamic vinegar and honey in a large skillet. Add the vegetables to the skillet along with any oil that has accumulated in the pan. Heat the vegetables over medium-high heat and cook until the glaze bubbles and thickens. Coat the carrots and beans with the glaze. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or allow to cool and serve over a salad. 

Japanese Curry

Since moving to Japan we have been very eager to not only try the local cuisine at nearby restaurants, but also try making them ourselves at home. We had been told before moving that Japanese curry was out of this world and different from the curries we have tried in the United States. We ate our first curry here a couple of weeks ago and it was delicious! Dark brown colored and very spicy, even though I ordered mild. I got mine with all veggies but hubby got tempura beef. Even though mine was excellent, I have to say, his was better! We enjoyed the curry so much that we decided to try our own at home. The groceries stores here carry Japanese curry sauce mixes such as Golden Curry, the one that I bought. 

I believe if you look in the international section at your local grocery store you should be able to find this brand too. Just look on the box and make sure it's from Japan!  

I used chicken in mine, but you can also use shrimp, beef, or lamb. I served it on udon noodles at hubby's suggestion. Udon noodles are thick, chewy Japanese noodles made from wheat flour.  

Although the box also said to serve over noodles or rice, I really think rice would be better. Plus at the curry restaurant they served it on rice, so I am sure that is more authentic.

Japanese Curry
Recipe from Golden Curry Box
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 pound chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped finely
3 tablespoons cooking oil
Several carrots, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 package of tofu (this was another addition I added on my own!)
1 cup of water
3/5 ounces Golden Curry Sauce Mix
Noodles or rice for serving
*I also garnished each dish with chopped green onion

Directions
Cut the meat into cubes. Add oil to a large pan and stir-fry meat and onions until onions are slightly browned. Add carrots and red pepper (celery and/or potatoes is also recommended). 

Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meat is tender, approximately ten minutes. Remove from the heat and break the curry sauce into pieces, then add them to the skillet.

Stir until curry is completely dissolved. Stir in tofu gently. 

Simmer five minutes, stirring constantly. 

Serve hot over rice or noodles. 

Chicken Pot Pie

I've been really into comfort food lately and chicken pot pie is the quintessential comfort food. I decided to go all out and to make this chicken pot pie completely from scratch, with homemade crust, fresh veggies and herbs, and oven roasted chicken. Unfortunately my pie crust did not turn out. It was too sticky to roll and even though I kept adding flour it still didn't work out. I consulted my mom on what to do and she told me to  just piece it on. That was great advice because while it wasn't the prettiest pot pie in the world, it still tasted incredible. 

The best part was honestly the smell it created in my house while it was baking. It reminded me of my Gram's house when she was cooking. I feel like I get my Gram back for a little while when I am making her food or when my food smells like her food.  

This meal takes a while, but is well worth the time and effort. It's creamy, rich, and belly and heartwarming! 

Chicken Pot Pie
Adapted from Simply Recipes and Baking Bites
Printable Version


Ingredients
For the pie crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced into 1/2 inch cubes (best to chill cubes in freezer for at least 15 minutes before using)
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
3-4 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:
3 cups of chicken, cooked and diced (I oven roasted my chicken with thyme, rosemary, and olive oil)
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup onion, thinly sliced
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 cups peas
Salt and Pepper to taste


Directions
Prepare the crust. Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the chilled butter cubes and pulse 5 times to combine. Add the shortening and pulse a few more times until the dough resembles a coarse cornmeal with some pea-sized pieces of butter. Slowly stream in ice water, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition until the dough sticks together when you press some between your fingers. Empty the food processor, placing the dough on a clean surface. Use your hands to mold into a ball, then flatten the ball into a disk. Sprinkle with a little flour, warp in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 days) before rolling. 

Preheat the oven to 400. In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add in onions, carrots, and celery and cook for 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. 

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring continuously for one minute. Stir in chicken stock and milk. Bring to a simmer then decrease the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chicken, peas, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour filling into a 9 or 10-inch pie plate. 

Take the chilled dough fro the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surgace until it is large enough to cover the top of the pie plate. Cover the filling with the dough, pressing around the edges of the plate. Cut 4-5 slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the pie crust is golden. Let pie sit for about 5 minutes before serving. 

Meatless Mondays: The Mushroom Soup

Now that my list of 30 Things to Make Before I Turn 30 is completed, I have moved on to "Meatless Mondays", where every most Mondays, I will attempt to post a "meatless" recipe. I did a little research and found there is a whole "Meatless Monday movement" going on, with celebrities, lots of food bloggers, and tons of scientific and medical data supporting the act of eating less meat. One thing I really am excited about is the environmental impact of going meatless once a week. Here are a couple of places you can check it out if you are interested:

• Meatless Mondays
• Wikipedia - Meatless Mondays
• Environmental Reasons for Meatless Mondays

I could go most days without eating meat, but for my wonderful hubby this would not a happy marriage make. He enjoys some meatless meals, but not all meatless. I have to make sure to incorporate things he likes in my meatless meals, like this mushroom soup from Tasty Kitchen. Hubby and I both love mushrooms and soup is one of his favorite things, too, so I knew this was going to be a good choice for my first Meatless Monday.

 The recipe recommended eating it with crusty French Bread to sop up the goodness, which is exactly what we did. This soup is rich, creamy, and filling. We ate it all in one night!

The Mushroom Soup

From aliciamosby on Tasty Kitchen

Serves 4

Printable Version

Ingredients

3 tablespoon olive oil

1 whole carrot, finely minced

1 whole celery stalk, finely minced

1 tablespoon garlic, crushed and minced

1 pound white mushrooms, sliced thin

4 ounces white wine

4 ounces tomato juice

4 ounces chicken broth (if you want to go completely vegetarian vegetable broth would work here too!)

1 pint heavy whipping cream (I used fat free half & half)

1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1 teaspoon corn starch

1/4 cup water

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Heat oil over medium heat in a Dutch Oven or large, deep pot. Add in the carrot and celery and allow to soften. 

Add garlic and mushrooms. Allow the to reduce and soften.

Pour in the wine and let it cook for a few minutes.Add the tomato juice and broth and raise heat to a boil. 

Boil for 5 minutes before adding the heavy cream and then bring to a soft boil. Grate the parmesan and add it to the pot. Allow to cook for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and blended into the soup. Add cornstarch to 1/4 cup of water and add to the soup.

Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes, or until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with french bread or buttery crackers. 

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Roasted Veggies and Garlic Gravy

Isn't there something wonderful and satisfying about roasted chicken? I am in love with this one pot meal of comfort. I could seriously eat it again and again, but I would probably have such horrible breath from the garlic gravy that no one would ever want to talk to me. Ever.

This dish is worth it though... moist, crisp chicken accompanied by roasted veggies covered in a peppery, garlic gravy. Are you drooling yet? My husband was when he walked into our place the night this was on the menu. I served it with homemade Milk & Honey Bread to sop up the gravy and juice. Dinner just doesn't get much better than this, friends!

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Roasted Veggies and Garlic Gravy
From Foodie Suz
Serves 4
Printable Version


Ingredients
3 tablespoons, olive oil, divided
4 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped (I used dried, since I didn't have any fresh in the house)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
12 baby potatoes, cut into quarters
5 carrots, peeled and halved vertically (I used about 10 baby carrots) 
1/4 cup white wine (I used our favorite Michigan wine, Tabor Hill)
2 tablespoons white flour
1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
pepper


Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch Oven. Combine salt, pepper, thyme, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Rub all over chicken. Place chicken in the Dutch Oven, skin side up. Throw in the 4 garlic cloves and cook for 30 minutes, uncovered. 

In the meantime prep the carrots and potatoes. Put in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of oil, salt and pepper.

After 30 minutes, take the chicken thighs out of the oven and place on a plate. Put veggies in the Dutch Oven and cook for another 20 minutes, uncovered. Then add the chicken thighs back in, coating with juices, and cook for another 20 minutes. 

Take the Dutch Oven out and scoop the chicken and veggies and put in a serving bowl. Cover with foil. Put the pan on the stove on medium heat. Take the garlic out of the skins and mash up in pan. Scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add wine and cook for a minute. Slowly whisk in flour. Whisk in chicken stock/broth and season with pepper. Pour over chicken and serve.