Recipe Review from 1/31/11

Uff.  Not sure where the week went, but it sure wasn't into new recipes!  Had good intentions, but ((shrug)) that's how it goes.  Monday is yoga night and leftovers - ended up having grilled cheese (LOVE grilled cheese!).  Tuesday was bottle beer night and to save time in the kitchen, was take-n-bake pizza.  Wednesday night the Husband had Bulls-eye League and I was left to my own devises - which means grilled cheese.  Thursday is yoga night and a fried egg sandwich (LOVE fried egg sandwiches).  Friday we had to do errands then shoveling and snowblowing at the Folks place so it was Chinese take-out. 

In other news, we had a minor catastrophe this weekend: came home from a jaunt up to Ely only to discover that the dog kennel had collapsed under the weight of the snow on the canoe.  Major bummer.  No pups were harmed - they are kept inside during the winter and were with us on Saturday besides.  I'll post pictures later this week.
One good dish for lunches during the week: 

Vegetarian Country Captain  (Ckng Lght, Jan/Feb 2011)
This was very easy to assemble (30 minutes really isn't out of line!) and the Indian flavors are just perfect right now.   A couple of modifications - I subbed carrots for the cauliflower since the Husband doesn't care for it (I know, I know, very sad); I also used peas for the edamame (had them in the freezer), and half n half for the whipping cream (again, had it on hand).   I also used wild rice instead of regular rice.  Not sure why...I had brown basmati rice in the cupboard that would also have been outstanding.  Still, this made excellent lunches for the week. 


Traditionally, Country Captain is a mild chicken stew seasoned with curry powder. Myth has it that a British sea captain working in the spice trade introduced this classic, comforting dish to the southern U.S. in the 19th century. Here, we've replaced chicken with edamame and cauliflower for a version loaded with vegetables to help you meet your daily produce goals.

Total: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups cauliflower mixture, 3/4 cup rice, 1 tablespoon currants, and 1 tablespoon almonds)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups diced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1/2 pound)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon curry powder
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups organic vegetable broth
2 tablespoons mango chutney
2 tablespoons whipping cream  1/2n1/2
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups cauliflower florets  carrots
2 cups frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)
3 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice

1/4 cup dried currants
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Sliced green onions (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add chopped onion, and cook for 7 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add apple; cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add flour, curry, and garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 2 minutes or until slightly thick. Stir in chutney, cream, and salt. Add cauliflower and edamame; cook for 8 minutes or until cauliflower is tender, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice, and top with currants and almonds. Garnish with cilantro and green onions, if desired.