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. 

Vegetarian Curry

Hooray I have a Meatless Monday recipe to share with you! I have made this vegetarian curry dish several times now. It's so easy and so good and so healthy! If you don't like a lot of heat be sure to leave the pepper out of this, as just with curry alone it has a little kick. 

You can add or subtract whatever veggies you like or have on hand. This time I forgot to get chickpeas so I substituted some small potatoes. I think sliced summer squash or zucchini would also be excellent in this! It also is a great recipe to make ahead and keep warm in the crock pot. My friend Jess shared this recipe with me after she got it from our friend Kelly. Thanks ladies! :)

Vegetarian Curry

Serves 4

Printable Version

Ingredients

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon ginger

1 thai or jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon pepper

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes

1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed

1 can coconut milk

½ cup water

½ cup frozen peas

½ cup diced tomatoes

Directions

Warm oil in dutch oven at medium low. Add garlic, ginger, onion and pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in curry and season with salt and pepper. Add sweet potatoes, chickpeas, coconut milk and water. 

Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for ten minutes. Add peas and tomatoes and cook until heated through. If you want to keep warm in a crock pot, this is time time to transfer everything over. Serve over rice.

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. 

Cashew Curry Chicken

This was the most tasty dinner I've cooked in a while. Baked chicken covered in honey, butter, curry, mustard and cashews. Sweet with a little tang from the mustard and heat from the curry. The crunch from the cashews was the best part. I served it over quinoa because I am officially obsessed with it. 

Cashew Curry Chicken
Serves Two
Printable Version


Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
Olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon curry
1/4 cup cashews, chopped
Kosher salt
Pepper


Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in a baking dish and season both sides with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile in a small saucepan melt butter over low-medium heat. Stir in honey, curry, mustard and stir frequently until thickens into sauce. Stir in cashews. Take chicken out of the oven and pour the sauce over the chicken. 

Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve over rice or quinoa. 

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

My wonderful wonderful mother-in-law shared this recipe for Curried Butternut Squash Soup. It's velvety and rich with just a hint of heat from the curry. With squash, apples, celery, and onion, it is chalked full of things that are good for you. We enjoyed this soup with beer bread and found that the soup was even more delicious sopped up in a big soft piece of bread. Beer bread + thick, rich soup = heaven! So comforting and warming --perfect for those of you who are snowed in right now during the "snowpocalypse". Meanwhile, here in Virginia it was sunny and 70 degrees tonight, not exactly soup weather! And yes, I am bragging! :)

Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 10 (next time I will halve the recipe)
Printable Version


Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1 yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 apples, peeled and chopped
2 quarts of vegetable or chicken stock
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon white pepper
3 tablespoons softened butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used fat free half&half and it made no difference on the taste)


Directions
In a soup pot or Dutch oven drizzle olive oil and add celery and onion. Cook the vegetables until softened but do no allow to brown.

 Add squash, stock, apples, and seasonings. 

Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low boil. Cook until the squash is very soft. If you have a hand blender, puree the vegetables until thick and smooth. If not, strain the liquid and reserve. Then puree the chunks with some of the soup liquid until thick and smooth. Return to pot and bring to a boil. Mix the butter and the flour together in a small bowl with a whisk. Turn down the heat and add mixture into the soup. Bring the soup back to a boil. Add cream and taste for additional salt and pepper. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. 

Indian Chicken Curry

I was inspired to make a homemade Chicken Curry to use up some of the left over Cranberry Chutney from Thanksgiving. I found this dish on what looked to be a somewhat authentic Indian recipe site. I was really pleased with the flavor and the color, in addition to how easy it was to prepare. I'm a wimp when it comes to heat in my curries, so this was very mild and perfect for me. I think hubby would have preferred it a little more hot. Oh well, I'm the boss in the kitchen, right? :)


 The Cranberry Chutney was an awesome addition. I served it over plain rice, but if you go to the original site, there are directions for a rice ring that sounds absolutely delicious. 

Indian Curry Chicken
From Indian Food Forever
Printable Version


Ingredients
1 tablespoons butter (I am trying to cut down on my butter intake so used yogurt butter)
1 cup chopped apple
1 cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 to 3 teaspoons curry powder
3/4 cup cold chicken stock
2 cups milk
2 cups cooked chicken, diced (I boiled 2 chicken breasts)
1 (3 ounce) can mushrooms, drained (didn't have these so omitted this)
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup raisins
3 cups hot cooked rice


Directions
Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add apple, celery, garlic, and onion. Cook until onion is tender. 

Combine cornstarch, curry powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and stock. 

Stir into onion mixture. Add milk. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. 
Add chicken and mushrooms, stir and heat through. Stir in almonds and raisins. 

Serve over rice.

Curried Chicken Salad

My wonderful mother in law taught me this curried chicken salad recipe. It's very easy, tasty, and great for a quick lunch. I prefer using a store bought rotisserie chicken because of the tender and juicy flavor it gives the salad, but you could also use chicken breasts or canned chicken. The measurements are just approximate...this is one recipe where you just eyeball things and flavor to personal taste.

Sue's Curried Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

1 Rotisserie Chicken

Half an onion, chopped

Celery stalks, chopped

Mayonnaise

Curry powder (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)

Salt 

Pepper

Almonds - toasted in oven until golden brown(I forgot to put them in my ingredient picture)

Salad greens 

Directions:

Take the meat off the chicken and dice it. Discard the skin (or keep a little on if you're feeling naughty). Combine the chicken, mayo, celery, onion, curry powder, and almonds. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon on top of salad greens. Can also be served on bread of choice for a yummy sandwich.