Oma's Curry

We are all in love with this curry recipe! Thanks Oma! 


Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 C butter
1 onion, sliced
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 green pepper, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tsp curry
1/4 C currants/ raisins (optional)

Directions:
Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Roll the thighs in it to coat.  In a large skillet, melt the butter and cook the thighs until browned on both sides. Pour in the can of tomatoes, liquid and all.  Add onions, peppers, garlic and curry.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes.  Add currants and cook 2 more minutes. 
Serve over brown rice.

Chicken Curry & Rice

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless chicken thighs cut up
3 TBLS curry powder
2 tsp salt
4 TBLS coconut oil
1 large white onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, pressed
2 C water
1 1/2 C frozen green beans
1 can coconut milk
1/2 C Greek yogurt
2 C diced red potatoes
Brown Rice

Directions:
Heat oil in wok.  Mix chicken, curry powder and salt together in a bowl. Add to the hot oil on the stove along with the onions, peppers and garlic.  Cook until onions are browned (3-5 min) Add water and beans and bring to a boil.  Lower heat to medium and simmer for 15-25 minutes (until water is reduced by about a third) Add coconut milk, yogurt and potatoes.  Cook until potatoes are fork tender (20 minutes) Serve over rice.

Thai Nutty Chicken

We are in love with this recipe! My 6 year old made it last time we had it! No joke! Just told him what to do and he put it all together in the crock pot!  Comes together in 5 minutes, and makes your home smell amazing the rest of the day!

Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts
1 can coconut milk
1 can tomatoes with diced green chilies
2 TBLS real Peanut Butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Brown rice

Directions:
Whisk all ingredients (except the rice) together in the crock pot and place the chicken in the sauce. (Chicken can be frozen too)
Cook on low for 6-8 hrs.  Shred chicken before serving over rice!

Bok Choy Stir Fry

Ingredients:
3 C brown rice, cooked
1 TBLS olive oil
4 eggs
1 onion
1 large carrot, chopped
1/2 large red pepper, chopped
1/2 Bunch of bok choy, whites and greens chopped separately
1 C frozen peas
3 green onions, chopped
soy sauce

Directions:
Heat oil in Wok.  Add onions and cook until translucent.  Add carrots and cook for 3 minutes, then add the red pepper and white part of the bok choy.  Saute for 2 minutes, then add the green leafy bok choy.  Add the rice, peas, and green onions.
Scramble the eggs in another pan and add to the mix when they are done.  Saute until all heated through and the bok choy is slightly wilted.  Serve with soy sauce.

Vegetable Curry

This was delicious!  Got the recipe from my friend Heidi.  We've made it before as stated, total vegetable curry.  But the second time we made it we added about a pound of already cooked shrimp to it.  Winner dinner all around!

Ingredients:
1/4 C olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 TBLS fresh grated ginger
1 TBLS minced garlic
2 tsp curry powder
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
2 C cauliflower florets, chopped
2 C (1 large) yam peeled and cubed
1 C fresh or frozen green beans snapped into 1 inch pieces
1 C chicken stock
1/2 tsp salt
1 C plain yogurt
2 TBLS whole wheat flour
Cooked brown rice

Directions:
Heat oil in a wok, or large skillet.  Add cumin, garlic, ginger and curry powder.  Stir, then add garbanzo beans, cauliflower, yam, green beans, chicken stock.  Cover and cook until veggies are tender (about 10 minutes) When the veggies are done this is when you would throw in your cooked shrimp if you are adding that.
In a small bowl stir together the yogurt and flour.  Add to the veggies and cook until heated through.
Serve over brown rice.

Chicken and Rice Chowder

Ingredients:
4 1/2 C chicken broth
1/2 C water
1-2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
2 tsp thyme
1 1/2 C brown rice, cooked
1 TBLS olive oil
4 cloves, pressed garlic
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, sliced
3 TBLS whole wheat flour
1 1/2 C milk

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring chicken broth and water to a boil and add the cooked chicken.  Add the thyme and cooked rice and reduce the heat.
In a skillet, heat oil, add garlic, onion, carrots and celery.  Cook until onions are translucent.  Add flour and combine well.  Dump this whole mixture into the broth and chicken mixture.
Stir milk into everything, simmer and stir occasionally, until thickened about 20-30 minutes.

Wild Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

2 TBLS olive oil

1 C chopped onion

1/2 C chopped, peeled carrots

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1 TBLS curry powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 clove garlic, pressed

3 C butternut squash, seeded, peeled and cubed

1 C wild rice

1 C brown rice

1 Fuji apple, peeled, cored, diced

1 cinnamon stick

3 3/4 C water

2 tsp salt

1/2 C dried cranberries (You can get dried cranberries sweetened with apple juice at Whole Foods)

Directions:

Heat oil in a pot on the stove.  Add onion and carrots.  Saute 5 minutes.  Add ginger, curry, cumin, and garlic.  Stir 1 minute.  Stir in squash and next 4 ingredients.  Add the water and salt.  

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 45 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in cranberries, cover and let stand until cranberries soften, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a serving bowl.

New Tradition for sure! This was AMAZING! Leftovers weren't quite as awesome...for some reason the wild rice got crunchy.  This was my first time cooking with wild rice though, so maybe this is normal? Still, the flavor was incredible! Love this new find!

Chicken Stirfry

This is my, I-don't-feel-like-thinking-about-dinner/ cooking-tonight-but-I-still-want-to-have-something-healthy dinner! :)  And if I've got some leftover-already-cooked brown rice in the freezer...even better!:)

Ingredients:

Frozen Vegetable stir fry blend, your choice.

Brown Rice

Chicken, cubed

1/3 C Soy sauce

1/3 C Chicken broth

1/2 C-1 C Peanuts (optional)

Directions:

In a wok I cook the chicken first.  When it's done I put it in a bowl to stay warm in the microwave while I cook the veggies.  Pour in more veggies than you think.  They really cook down.  When the veggies are done to your liking, add the chicken back to the wok, throw in the peanuts.  Add the soy sauce and chicken broth. (If you want a thicker sauce stir these two together in another bowl with 1 TBLS cornstarch before adding it to the wok)  Toss everything and heat through, then serve over rice.  Voila, dinner is ready!

"What's in the fridge" Salad

I have found again and again, that the more choices the kids have, the happier they seem to be.  This dinner, is a hit every time, because essentially, they make it themselves!  We give "topping options." But ultimately they are the ones who put it all in their bowl!  And they LOVE it! (We do have some rules though.  They aren't allowed to just have rice, beans and cheese.  They must add at least 2 veggies) :) There is no right way to make this meal.  We just start them off with some rice and let them go at it!  By no means do you have to have ALL of these toppings out at once.  These are all just here as ideas of things we have used and liked.  Get creative!

Ingredients:
Cooked Brown Rice
Red beans
Black Beans
Pinto Beans
Shredded cheese (any flavor, your FAVORITE!)
Chopped spinach
Diced tomatoes
Diced avocado
Sliced green onions
Diced Cucumbers
Diced Peppers
Diced Celery

Directions:
Start your bowl with a big spoon full of brown rice, then top with whatever you want!  So fresh, so easy and so yummy!

Red Beans and Rice

I've decided that many meals are still great meals, even without meat.  This recipe initially calls to have kielbasa(sausage) in it as well.  You can either replace the kielbasa with more beans (pinto) or just take it out all together.  Either way, this is a very quick, simple, filling meal.


Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cans red beans, drained
1 C tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Brown rice

Directions:
In a skillet, over medium heat, saute onions, garlic and bell pepper, in a little olive oil until tender.  Add beans and tomatoes.  Season with thyme, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over brown rice

Chicken Artichoke Casserole

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
4 TBLS butter
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 C mushrooms, sliced
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
2 TBLS whole wheat flour
1 can chicken broth (14 oz)
Brown Rice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
In a skillet, over medium heat, cook chicken in 2 TBLS butter, add garlic and mushrooms.  Cook a few more minutes.
In a 7X11 baking dish, add the browned chicken mixture.  Break up the artichoke hearts over the chicken.
In the skillet, melt the remaining butter and add the flour.  Whisk together, add the chicken broth and cook until thickened, then pour over the chicken mixture.  Bake 30 minutes.  Serve over brown rice.

Crock Frijoles

Ingredients:
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
4 C chicken broth
1 1/2 C tomato puree
2 tsp chili powder OR 1/2 TBLS cayenne 
1 lb dry pinto beans, soaked overnight, drained


Brown Rice
Cheese
Cilantro
Hot sauce (optional)
Directions:
Place everything in a crock pot and cook for 8 hours.  Serve over brown rice, and top with cheddar cheese and cilantro.  Sprinkle with hot sauce if you like that too.

Sweet Potato Salmon

Ingredients:
1 yam, peeled and shredded
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Rosemary
Salmon Filets
Brown Rice
2 TBLS Butter, divided

Directions:
In a bowl combine yam, onion, Thyme and Rosemary.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat butter until melted.  Place Salmon in the pan and cook, turning over once, until fish is done.
In another pan heat butter and pour in the yam onion combination.  Cook, stirring once in a while, until onions and yams are soft.
To serve, on your plate, layer brown rice, salmon and top with yams.  Your house will smell AMAZING when cooking this dish!

Coconut Curry Shrimp

Ingredients:

1/4 C olive oil

1 onion

1 red bell pepper

5 cloves of garlic

2 tsp grated ginger

2 TBLS curry powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk

1 TBLS cornstarch

1 lb shrimp

5 TBLS green onions

Directions:

In a blender mix the oil, onion, red bell pepper, and 5 cloves of garlic to create a chuncky paste.  Saute paste for about 4 minutes.  Lower heat to a simmer and add the grated ginger, curry powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes.  Mix well, then gradually add in the coconut milk and cornstarch.  Cook until slightly thickened.  Add the shrimp and stir until cooked.  Add chopped green onions.  Stir one last time and serve over brown rice.  Pretty spicy.  May try this again with chicken and peanuts.  Versatile sauce.  Very yummy!

Peanut Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients:
3/4 C orange juice
1/3 C honey
1/4 C soy sauce
1 TBLS corn starch
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TBLS olive oil, divided
4 green onions, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch strips
1 C peanuts
Brown rice

Directions:
In a bowl combine juice, honey, soy sauce, corn starch, and seasonings.
In a wok, or large skillet, heat 1 TBLS olive oil.  Stir fry vegetables for several minutes, until carrots are done to your liking and onions become fragrant.  Set aside and keep warm.
In the same skillet, heat another TBLS of oil and stir fry chicken strips until browned and tender.

Add cooked veggies, peanuts, and sauce mixture.Continue cooking until sauce bubbles and thickens.

Serve over brown rice!

Curried Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion

3 14 oz cans chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1/2 C brown rice

1 1/2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp thyme

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a crockpot, cover and cook for 6 hours.

Mexican Black Bean and Rice Salad

Ingredients:

3 tomatoes chopped

1 red pepper chopped

1/4 C lemon juice

1 C cilantro chopped

1/2 tsp basil

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1 C frozen corn, cooked

1 can black beans, drained

1 TBLS olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, pressed

2-3 C cooked brown rice

salsa

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, pepper, lemon juice, cilantro, basil red pepper flakes, and beans. Mix and set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil, add onion and garlic. Saute until onions are to desired "doneness". Add in the corn snd cook until heated. Then add to the tomato mixture. Now add the rice, and combine well. Serve, topping each portion with a TBLS of salsa (or as much as you like :) And in our case, with your own amount of chopped cilantro!  I love how fresh this tastes!