entree Archive

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Curry

The last few years, I’ve had relatively rotten luck with my garden. First, there are the evil crows in my neighborhood that take great delight in eating all my seeds and sprouts. (And these crows are smart! So smart, in fact, that I’m a little paranoid that they might read this blog post and punish me for it.) In addition, all the neighborhood cats think my raised beds are giant litter boxes. And, to be quite honest, I just don’t have the gift of a green thumb. I can grow herbs, greens, zucchini, and tomatoes. That’s about it.

Last year, I planted an heirloom pumpkin in my backyard. It was a gorgeous blue pumpkin, and it grew phenomenally well. It was the first time I’d planted pumpkin, and I was shocked. However, one day I came home to find that my beautiful blue pumpkin had met an untimely death. Our landlords had hired someone to trim the hedges in our backyard, and the trimmers somehow managed to stomp my poor pumpkin to death. There was no salvaging the plant or the fruit, the pumpkin was gone. I was crushed.

After the great pumpkin debacle of 2013, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to attempt growing pumpkins again. But, I decided to give it one more shot. I planted one little sugar pie pumpkin plant in my front garden (nowhere near the hedges!). Despite my best attempts to kill my garden (read: it was a very hot summer and I was very pregnant), I did manage to grow a few things this year, including one adorable little pumpkin.

I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do with my one adorable little pumpkin. I probably should have made a pie with it – after all, it is a sugar pie pumpkin – but, pies just aren’t my strong suit. And I wanted to make something out-of-the-ordinary. Something unexpected. So, I made curry with my one little garden pumpkin. And you know what? Pumpkin curry was a great decision. It was everything I hoped it would be — sweet, savory, and spicy. It was rich and comforting, and the perfect meal for a chilly fall evening. (And we ended up with plenty of leftovers that I froze for post-baby meals! Win!).

The moral of the story is: when life hands you a pumpkin, make curry. The end.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Curry

Adapted from Table for Two Blog

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz) of coconut milk
2 cups pumpkin puree**
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon sambal oelek (red chili garlic paste, or sub Sriracha hot sauce)
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 red potatoes, washed and cubed
3 chicken thighs
1 cup frozen peas
Optional garnishes: Cilantro, plain yogurt, Sriracha

Instructions

In the bowl of your slow cooker, mix together the coconut milk, stock, sambal, fish sauce, pumpkin puree and spices. Once combined, add in the garlic, onions, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and whole chicken thighs.
Cook on low for 6 hours, or the vegetables and chicken are cooked all the way through and the curry is thick and rich. (The chicken should be tender and fall apart on its own, or you can help it along and shred with a fork.) Add in the peas 15-20 minutes before serving, stirring to combine. Allow the peas to heat all the way through before serving.
Serve curry with basmati rice, and garnish with Sriracha, cilantro, and plain yogurt if desired.
Note: After 6 hours in the slow cooker, the curry liquid was still a little thin for my liking, so I transferred it to a Dutch oven and finished it on the stovetop. I cooked it over medium-high for 15-20 minutes and let it reduce until it was quick thick. It turned out perfectly!

Notes

**To make your own pumpkin puree, simply cut a small pumpkin in half. Remove stem and scoop out the seeds (leave the skin on). Brush pumpkin flesh with olive oil. Roast (flesh side down) on a lined baking sheet in a 400(F) oven for 35-45 minutes, or until pumpkin is soft and roasted all the way through. Scoop the roast pumpkin out of the skin and puree in a food processor or blender until smooth.

http://rosemarried.co/2014/10/12/slow-cooker-pumpkin-curry/

Brussels Sprout Soba Salad with Fish Sauce and Mint

I’ll just come right out and say it: This is a David Chang recipe.

Really, all I did was take his genius recipe and fiddle with it a bit. I made the sprouts and the sauce, mostly to his specifications. Then, I made some buckwheat soba noodles according to the package directions. Lastly, I tossed the soba noodles with the sprouts and sauce. It wasn’t rocket science, but it did make for a quick and tasty dinner.

Since I didn’t deviate much from the original recipe, there’s no point in posting it here. If you want to know how to make David Chang’s amazing Brussels Sprouts with Fish Sauce and Mint, just head on over to Food & Wine Magazine. However, I will leave you with a few notes on my adaptation of the recipe.

If you plan on making this Brussels sprout soba salad, here are a few notes:

*First off, this recipe translates nicely into a cold soba salad. In addition to making Chang’s sprouts, you just need to cook up a few buckwheat soba noodles (according to package directions) and toss the sauced sprouts with the noodles. I let the noodles and sprouts cool a bit, and ate the salad at room temp. However, the cold leftovers the next day were even better.

*I found Chang’s recipe to be a litttttttle too fish saucy for my tastes, so I dialed back the fish sauce just a bit and upped the lime juice. I also added thinly sliced green onions to the salad, for kicks.

*The spicy rice crispies are awesome. Don’t skip this step. Make them. Just don’t toss them in/on the salad until you’re ready to serve or they’ll get soggy.

*I didn’t have a red chile on hand, so I substituted a jalapeño from my garden. This was a great idea in theory, but that particular jalapeño was face-meltingly spicy. Thankfully, I didn’t put the whole darn pepper in the sauce (otherwise, it would have been completely inedible).

*The recipe on Food & Wine calls for ‘boiled’ Brussels sprouts, but doesn’t specify any boiling instructions. In my opinion, you really don’t want soggy/overcooked Brussels sprouts! I just blanched mine in boiling water for 2 minutes, then doused the sprouts in an ice bath. This just softens the sprouts and gets them ready for a good charring in the skillet!

And, that’s all I gotta say about this Brussels Sprout Soba Salad! It’s a spicy and simple weeknight meal, full of interesting and unique flavors. Bonus: it tastes even better the next day. Do it!

Roast Vegetable ‘Stacked’ Enchiladas

This recipe isn’t anything new or life-changing. It’s isn’t particularly pretty or Pinterest-y. It’s a casserole, for crying out loud. (You could even venture to say this is something akin to a ‘Mexican lasagne’.)

But you know what? All of that aside, these vegetable enchiladas are really stinkin’ delicious. This dish has been a staple in my household for years, but I’ve hesitated writing about it here, because of the aforementioned reasons. But, you know what? To heck with reason. And to heck with pretty and Pinterest-y recipes. Because, sometimes, the best things in life aren’t pretty in the least.

And I’m totally ok with that. So, here it is then: my favorite recipe for ugly-yet-tasty roast vegetable enchiladas. I think you’ll like them. A lot.

Roast Vegetable Stacked Enchiladas

Serving Size: Serves 4-6

Ingredients

15-20 corn tortillas
1 can (28 oz) red enchilada sauce (my personal favorite is El Pato brand enchilada sauce)
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 poblano pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 white or yellow onion, diced
2 carrots
1 parsnip
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 large handful kale leaves, roughly chopped
2 canned chipotle peppers (in adobo), finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
Salt & pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or a SilPat.
While the oven is preheating, chop and prep the vegetables. Peel the carrots and parsnip, and chop into 1/4 pieces. Remove the stem and seeds from the poblano and bell pepper, and chop into 1/4 inch pieces. In a bowl, toss together the chopped peppers, onion, carrots, and parsnips. Stir in the olive oil, cumin, chopped chipotles, salt, and pepper. Spread the veggie mixture in an even layer on prepared baking sheet. Roast veggies in the oven until tender and starting to brown, 15-20 minutes.
While veggies are roasting, heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook corn and chopped kale, until the kale is wilted and any excess moisture from the corn has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Once the veggies are roasted, it is time to assemble the enchiladas. In a 9×13 baking dish, pour enough enchilada sauce in the bottom of the dish to coat. Place a layer of corn tortillas atop the sauce. Pour a bit more sauce over the tortilla later, using a spoon or spatula to spread evenly over the tortillas. Sprinkle a handful of cheese over the tortillas. Next, sprinkle a mix of roast vegetables (including the kale and corn) over the cheese and tortilla layer. Add a bit more cheese atop the vegetable layer. Continue to layer in this fashion – tortillas, sauce, cheese, vegetables – until the pan is full. Place a layer of tortillas atop everything, and spread sauce generously over the tortillas. Sprinkle one last layer of cheese atop of the pan, for good measure. :)
Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F. Bake enchiladas, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before attempting to eat. (I have burnt my tongue many a time on these enchiladas!)

http://rosemarried.co/2014/04/28/roast-vegetable-stacked-enchiladas/

Roast Chicken Salad with Tarragon and Apricots

This recipe starts with Martha Stewart’s roast chicken. I suppose there are other ways you could go about cooking the chicken, but I adore Martha’s recipe. It is simple and classic and it results in perfectly cooked chicken, every single time. (A quick note about Martha’s chicken recipe. She says to cook the chicken to 180-190 °F. However, the FDA recommends that chicken be cooked to 165 °F. I side with the FDA on this one. If cooked to Martha’s recommendation, I think the chicken would be dry and overdone.)

Recently, I’ve been attempting to roast a chicken at least once a month. First off, roast chicken is so incredibly delicious. In a world full of boneless skinless chicken breasts and chicken nuggets made of pink slime, it is easy to forget that chicken is real food that comes from a real animal. I almost forgot that chicken can taste good. But let me tell you, a properly roasted chicken is one of my favorite things to eat.

In addition, a roast chicken results in multiple meals throughout the week, and a whole bunch of homemade chicken stock. (And homemade chicken stock is the best!) While there are a number of great ways to use up leftover roast chicken, I almost always end up making chicken salad. What can I say? I love a good chicken salad.

I’ve made a lot of chicken salads in my day, and this version is one of my favorites. The crunch of the celery, the sweetness of the apricots, and the vibrance of the fresh spring herbs are just perfect together. It is the perfect springtime meal.

Tarragon and Apricot Chicken Salad

Ingredients

3 cups cooked chicken (mix of light & dark meat), roughly chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon hazelnut oil (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, minced
1 tablespoon fresh chives, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1/2 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
2-3 celery sticks, roughly chopped
1 small shallot, diced
Optional ingredients: chopped hazelnuts or diced green onions.

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, sour cream, hazelnut oil, vinegar, and herbs.
Mix together chicken, celery, shallot, and chopped apricots in a medium sized bowl. Pour the sour cream mixture over the chicken and stir to combine. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed.
Cover the chicken salad and store in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Serve with bread, crackers, or in lettuce cups.

http://rosemarried.co/2014/03/27/tarragon-apricot-chicken-salad/

Butternut Squash Macaroni & Cheese with Sage

I’ve been in a bit of a food rut as of late. I find myself drawn to old favorites, to dishes that are tried and true. We’ve had record rainfall in Portland this past week and as a result, I find myself feeling particularly lazy in the kitchen. I don’t want to push the culinary envelope. I just want to make something that is simple, warm, and cozy.

This is one of those recipes. Macaroni and cheese is the epitome comfort food. I’ve been making variations on this mac and cheese for years, and it never ever disappoints. It’s rich and creamy, with just a hint of sweetness from the butternut squash. The squash also adds color and texture to the cheese sauce and causes everything to meld together perfectly. (If you’ve not tried butternut squash in macaroni and cheese before, I dare you to try it. It’s remarkably good.)

All that to say, this is my go-to rainy day recipe. If you find yourself looking for a rainy day recipe in the coming weeks (I’m lookin’ at you, Portland!), I highly recommend this one. It’s real good eats.

Butternut Squash Macaroni & Cheese with Sage

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash
3/4 lb macaroni noodles (or other pasta)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 small shallots, diced
2.5 cups whole milk
3 cups shredded cheese (I used a mix of sharp cheddar, gruyere, mozzarella, and parmesan).
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
salt & pepper, to taste
Panko bread crumbs (for topping)

Instructions

First, make the butternut squash puree (can be done ahead of time). I find that the easiest way to do this is to slice the squash in half lengthwise. Leave the skin on and remove the seeds. Rub the squash flesh with olive oil, salt, and pepper and place the squash halves (skin facing up) on a lined baking sheet. Roast in a 400 degree oven until squash is cooked all the way through and fork tender (30+ minutes). When tender, remove the squash from the oven. Allow to cool and scoop out the roasted squash flesh and place in a food processor. Pureé until smooth. (Hint: adding a bit of water or olive oil to the squash results in a smoother pureé.) If not using immediately, store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to one week.
To make the mac and cheese, first preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and shallots and whisk rapidly to combine. Continue to whisk and cook, until the flour and butter start to turn golden brown (2-3 minutes). Add in 1/2 up milk, whisking constantly. (Note: the roux will actually get thicker with the initial addition of milk. Just keep whisking and slowly adding milk and it’ll get smooth and creamy!). Pour the rest of the milk slowly, in half cup increments, whisking constantly. Once all the milk had been added, allow the sauce to simmer and thicken over low heat for 10 minutes. (Stir often and be careful not to burn it!) After 10 minutes, add the grated cheese into the sauce, stirring to combine. Stir in the squash puree, sage, nutmeg, and salt and pepper.
Once the cheese is completely melted and incorporated into the sauce, toss the sauce with the cooked pasta and pour into a greased baking dish (9×13). Top with an extra handful of shredded cheese and Panko crumbs.
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until bread crumbs are golden brown.

Notes

Adapted from Foodess

http://rosemarried.co/2014/02/19/butternut-squash-macaroni-cheese-with-sage/

African Peanut Stew with Collard Greens

This is the perfect meal for a dreary January day.

The peanut stew full of flavor and spice. It’s hearty, but it isn’t heavy. It is simple and comforting, full of protein and leafy greens. The dish is vegan, but it doesn’t lack in richness or flavor. It just works, on so many levels.

I honestly think I could eat this stew every day for the rest of my life, and I would die a happy woman.

It is truly that good.

Give it a try, I dare you.

African Peanut Stew with Collard Greens

Ingredients

4-5 cups vegetable stock
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 small knob of ginger, peeled and finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
Salt, to taste
1 bunch hearty greens (such as collard greens, kale, or chard), chopped into thin strips.
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (organic, no sugar added)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup canned fire roasted tomatoes (diced)
Sriracha, to taste
Cilantro, for garnish
Roughly chopped peanuts, for garnish.

Instructions

In a Dutch oven or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high head. Cook the red onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes, until translucent. Add in ginger, and stir into the mixture. Cook for 1 minute more. Add in 4 cups of vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter and tomato paste. Pour in 1 cup of hot stock to the bowl, and whisk together. Add another half cup of hot stock and whisk until smooth. Then, pour the peanut mixture into the pot. Mix well. Stir in the canned tomatoes and collard greens. Allow to cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until mixture has reduced and is thick and creamy. (If the mixture is too thick, cut with a bit more vegetable stock.) Season with salt and Sriracha to taste.
Serve over brown rice and garnish with chopped cilantro and peanuts.

http://rosemarried.co/2014/01/14/african-peanut-stew-collard-greens/

Adapted from Cookie and Kate.

Harissa-Stewed Butternut Squash

When I first moved to Portland from Los Angeles, I was told that I must eat at Toro Bravo. I was warned that the restaurant doesn’t take reservations. I was told to expect a long (2+ hour!) wait. But, everyone declared that the wait was worth it.

The people of Portland have long adored Toro Bravo, but I just couldn’t find it in me to wait for two hours for dinner. I’m far too impatient (and I knew I would get far too hangry).

That said, it took me 4 years to finally visit Toro Bravo. I planned to arrive early on a weeknight, in hopes to evade the crowds. Much to my surprise and delight, I was seated right away. Over the course of the evening, I tried a number of different dishes and they were all ridiculously good. However, there was one dish that stood out above the rest: the Harissa-stewed butternut squash. It was incredible — smoky, spicy, rich, warm, and comforting. I devoured the squash and considered ordering another. (And, yes, I’ll admit that I should have tried Toro Bravo years ago. Why did I wait so long?!)

I’ll admit that I crave this dish often. It’s completely addicting. I’ve braved the lines at Toro Bravo a couple of times since that night, specifically for the squash. You can image my elation, then, when I discovered that the new Toro Bravo cookbook included a recipe for the dish!

Let me tell you, the ability to make this dish at home is a real game changer. I might never leave my house again, except to go to the store for more squash and harissa.

TORO BRAVO’S HARISSA-STEWED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Adapted from “Toro Bravo: Stories. Recipes. No Bull.” and Portland Monthly Magazine.

Notes on the recipe: The original recipe calls for Rose Petal Harissa, but says that you can sub regular harissa. I used regular harissa, but the kind I have is particularly spicy, so I cut it with a bit of tomato paste (which also added color and flavor to the dish).

INGREDIENTS:
1 butternut squash (2–3 lb)
4 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tbsp harissa
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Several dollops soft goat cheese

METHOD:

1. Using a sharp knife, halve the squash. Trim off the skin, scoop out the seeds, and dice into 1/2″ cubes.
2. Heat two large skillets over medium-high heat. Place two tablespoons of butter in each pan. Once the butter has melted and is beginning to brown, place half of the squash in one pan and half in the other. Season squash with salt and pepper.
3. Allow squash to cook untouched for the 3 minutes, or until brown on one side. Toss and allow the squash to cook a few more minutes, until nicely browned.
4. Pour squash into one pan, remove from heat, and set aside. Add a bit of olive oil to the empty skillet and cook onion and garlic over medium-high heat. Stir often and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the squash into the pan with the onions and garlic, and stir to combine. Add in the harissa, cream, tomato paste, and paprika. Allow to cook, uncovered, until squash is fork tender and beginning to fall apart (30+ minutes). Taste, and adjust seasonings if needed.
6. Pour the mixture into shallow baking dishes and sprinkle dollops of goat cheese over the top. Broil for 3-4 minutes, until nicely browned. Serve immediately.