Recipe Review from 1/20/2014

Temperatures continue to bounce between pleasant (20*F) and "brisk" (less than -20* with a windchill), but I'm not complaining because it could be like those poor folks on the East Coast.  We fit in a quick trip across the state to visit the in-laws so this past week was more of a freezer/pantry reduction than new meals. 

The Plan: 

Sun - (S)  a frozen homemade pot pie from the Husband's co-worker  (omg!  so good!)
Mon - leftovers for one
Tues - leftovers
Wed - Fall Vegetable Curry (Ckng Lght Oct 2010)
Thurs - leftovers
Friday - Cabbage, Sausage and Apple saute  (Ckng Lght, 2011?)  leftovers
Sat  (L) chili cookoff at the legion  (S) leftovers


Fall Vegetable Curry  (Ckng Lght, Oct 2010)
This dish can be ready and on the table in about 40 minutes or less.  I assembled and cooked while my basmati rice baked - oh did the house smell good!  No significant changes or alterations on this dish: I used one small sweet potato, which was more than one cup, and I used more than one cup of cauliflower.  I had sweet curry in the cupboard - written recipe recommended adding 1/4 tsp of cayanne pepper to your curry if you don't have Madras, but I prefer sweet over heat.   This was a perfect dish for a very blustery cold evening, the smells and flavors evoking images of much warmer tropical places.  Made three dinners for two, with basmati rice.

photo from cookinglight.com

• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil 
• 1 cup diced peeled sweet potato
• 1 cup small cauliflower florets
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced yellow onion 
• 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
• 1/2 cup organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt 

1. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Decrease heat to medium. Add cauliflower, onion, and curry powder; cook 1 minute, stirring mixture constantly. Add broth and next 3 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve with yogurt.
2. Wine match: Viognier. Tangent 2008 Paragon Vineyard Viognier (Edna Valley, CA; $17) is your must-try wine here, with notes of gardenia, peach, and apricot. It is full-bodied enough to meet the chickpeas halfway but crisp enough to hold up to the tangy tomatoes and yogurt. --Sara Schneider