coconut chickpea curry

this was supposed to be coconut chicken chickpea curry, but when i thought i had stored the chicken breasts in the refrigerator, i actually put them in the freezer!
take note, meat-eater son #3 is home for Christmas break.
hmmm...
oh well.

i know that at some point i had a recipe for this dish.
but i could not find it.
so i made one up!
a wonderful, hearty blend of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), tomatoes, curry, onions, spinach and the best part, coconut milk!
served over rice with naan on the side.
go here for the recipe.

*i have been buying this fabulous naan at BJ's. they call it pocketless pita, and it's in the bakery section. a huge pack for $4.99.

product review wolfgang puck's vegetable stock

i usually do not like vegetable stock.
it tastes weird.
but before thanksgiving, HT was having a buy one get one sale and i had a coupon and they were out of chicken stock.
my vegetarian daughter doesn't mind a little chicken broth now and then, so we usually use that.
last night, we had some vegan friends over for dinner.
i made a big clay pot of roasted veggies and wanted to serve it with some couscous.
so i thought now would be the perfect time to try the vegetable stock.
what a wonderful product!
wolfgang's broth is all natural with no preservatives or msg.
it contains barley malt and yeast which give a hearty flavor.
i will definitely purchase again.

regular price $2.99 at harris teeter.
on sale this week for $2.50.
use the .50/1 Wolfgang Puck All Natural stock or Organic broth, SS 11/7 and pay $1.50

pioneer woman's chicken, turkey, or not pot-pie

my vegetarian daughter has been asking for a veggie pot pie.
with the leftover turkey from thanksgiving, i thought now is the time!
she had already been drooling over the pioneer woman's chicken pot pie recipe, so i pulled out the cookbook.
i decided to take the pioneer woman's recipe, and have the meat on the side for my husband and me.
it turned out well, i did use my ready made pillsbury crust and added some green beans i had in the fridge. i do think next time i may add a larger variety of vegetables. maybe a potato and some corn or beans to give it a little more vegetarian sustenance. the sauce was amazing.
i just simmered some chicken stock and the chopped turkey in a separate pan and warren and i put it at the bottom of our bowl.
i will say that my daughter is not a "rigid" vegetarian. she doesn't fret about a little chicken broth now and then. i think it's mostly the texture of the meat she doesn't like. but you could always use veggie broth or chicken boullion cubes (which have no chicken in them).

if you haven't bought the pioneer woman's cookbook yet, what are you waiting for?????
it is beautiful and functional :)
and her love story book is coming out in february!

since the recipe is not on her website, i probably shouldn't post it.
just go buy the cookbook already :)

clay pot moroccan mish-mash

this weekend my neighbor was doing some "cleaning out".
(proud of ya don)
he brought this wonderful schlemmertopf clay baker over and asked if we would like it.
YES! of course we would :)
i researched and found a couple of recipes and tips and then made this one up.

before you cook, you must soak your clay pot in water at least 20 minutes. also, make sure you place the filled pot in a cold oven.
here we go:

dice up:
1 zucchini
1 turnip
1 carrot
1 red pepper
1 granny smith apple
1 sweet onion

add in:
1 package of grape tomatoes
1/3 cup raisins
1 can drained and rinsed garbanzo beans

mix together and add:
2 T olive oil
2 T moroccan seasoning blend (i used pampered chef, but you can make your own, recipe here)

toss everything together and dump into the clay pot.
cover and place in a cold oven.
turn the oven to 425° and bake for 90 minutes.

serve over israeli couscous.
top with a dollop of greek yogurt if desired.

*if you need some meat for the meat-eaters in your family, dice up a couple of raw boneless skinless chicken breasts and put them in the bottom of the pot. that way the vegetarians can serve themselves first and get just the vegetables.

creamy baked ziti

i'm a subscriber to kraft's food and family magazine.
they always have lots of easy to make recipes and loads of pictures.
here's one for "creamy baked ziti" my daughter picked out and we made with ingredients we usually have in our stockpile.
it was wonderful!

orange israeli couscous with sweet potatoes and raisins

1 package (8.8 oz) israeli couscous
1 cup orange juice
1-2 sweet potatoes
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp ground cumin (optional)

• peel and cube sweet potatoes.
• toss with a little olive oil and cumin if desired.
• roast in a 450° oven for 15 minutes or so, until tender.
• while that's roasting, pour 1 tsp olive oil in a skillet and heat to medium.
• add couscous and toast for 4 minutes, until it's starting to brown.
• add the orange juice and 1 cup water.
• cover and cook for 6 minutes.
• leave covered and let it sit for 4-7 minutes.
• stir in roasted sweet potatoes and raisins.

*i found a great israeli couscous at harris teeter.
the brand is "streit's" and it's in a red and blue package.

Jamie Oliver's Killer Mac 'N' Cheese.

This is Food Revolution's Jamie Oliver's macaroni and cheese recipe. My daughter converted the ingredients from metric to American. So yummy, and with the added tomatoes, good for you!

JAMIE OLIVER'S KILLER MAC 'N' CHEESE

- - -

Ingredients:

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 stick butter

• 3 heaped tablespoons plain flour

• 4-6 cloves of garlic

• 6 fresh bay leaves

• about 2 cups semi-skimmed milk

• 1 box dried macaroni (16 oz)

• 1 can Rotel tomatoes

• about 1 - 1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese

• about 1 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• a few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked

• a couple splashes Worcestershire sauce

• about 1 cup breadcrumbs

• olive oil

- - -

Get a large pan of salted water on to boil. Melt the butter in a large ovenproof saucepan over a low heat, then add the flour and turn the heat up to medium, stirring all the time, until you get a paste – this is your roux. Chop and add garlic. Keep cooking and stirring until golden and the garlic is nice and sticky. Add the bay leaves and slowly whisk in the milk a little at a time to ensure you get a nice smooth sauce.
Bring the mixture to the boil, then leave it on a low heat to simmer and tick away, stirring occasionally. Preheat your oven to 425ºF.

Add the pasta to the pan of boiling salted water and cook according to the packet instructions. Drain the pasta and add it immediately to the sauce. Give it a good stir and take the pan off the heat. Stir in your grated cheeses, Rotel tomatoes and thyme leaves, and Worcestershire sauce. Now work on the flavour – taste it and season it until it’s hitting the right spot. You want it to be slightly too wet because it will thicken up again in the oven, so add a splash of water if needed.

If you’ve made your sauce in an ovenproof casserole-type pan, leave everything in there; if not, transfer it to a deep earthenware dish.
Put in the oven.

While it’s cooking, mix together breadcrumbs and a few tablespoons olive oil. Put on top of macaroni and cheese and place back in the oven.
Bake until golden brown.

this is for you shan....

as i mentioned in my other blog excuse me, i have some shopping to do...,
since-
1. my #3 son went to college 3 weeks ago
2. my daughter (15) is a vegetarian
3. my wonderful husband will eat pretty much anything that he does not have to fix himself
and...
4. I love to cook!
we have been trying out some new vegetarian recipes.
my SIL asked me to post some of our creative dinners so she could try 'em too.
here you go shan, i love ya!