Recipe Review from 1/29/2018

Temps continue to fluctuate between 20* and -20*.   Just don't know what to wear dashing out the door in the morning - looks like it'll be nice, but then the windchill comes and smacks ya upside the cheeks and Brrrrr! 

Still good weather for slow cooked meals! 

The Meal Plan from week of 1/29/18:
Sat - out and about in the AM, dinner and hockey game in the PM
Sun (L) leftovers   (S)  Chicken Curry and naan
Mon (yoga/book group)  Sweet potato bowl
Tues - leftover curry
Wed - Chicken Mole Tacos w/cornbread
Thurs (yoga)
Fri (off!)


Zesty Kale and Sweet Potato Salad (Ckng Lght, Jan/Feb 2018)  gluten free, vegetarian
This was easy to pull together, very versatile (swap out ingredients, add different veggies, or toss in some beans), and flavorful without being overly spicy.  You can serve this warm, room temp or cold.  I made this for my lunches for the week, so I was eating it cold and enjoyed every bite.

I actually made this as written, only subbing spinach for the kale.  I didn't find this "zesty", expecting a bit more heat from the spices, but it wasn't lacking for flavor.  I would make this again.

Recommended!

photo from CookingLight.com

1 pound diced peeled sweet potatoes (about 3 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided1 teaspoon chili powder, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 large red bell pepper, quartered
1/2 cup unsalted roasted almonds, chopped
2 teaspoons grated lime rind, divided
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups hot cooked quinoa
4 ounces baby kale, chopped (about 4 cups)
(I used baby spinach instead of kale)
1 ounce Cotija cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)
1 ripe avocado, sliced

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Combine sweet potatoes, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl; toss. Arrange sweet potato mixture on one side of an aluminum foil–lined baking sheet. Place bell pepper on other side of pan; drizzle with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, and toss to coat. Bake until potatoes are tender and peppers are lightly charred, about 30 minutes, stirring potatoes once halfway through. Remove pan from oven. Cut bell pepper into strips.

Cook almonds in a small skillet over medium until toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon rind, and sugar; cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute.

 

Whisk together remaining 5 teaspoons oil, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, remaining 1 teaspoon rind, juice, and cilantro in a bowl. Divide quinoa among 4 bowls; top evenly with kale, sweet potatoes, and bell pepper. Drizzle with juice mixture; top evenly with coated almonds, Cotija, and avocado. Serve with lime wedges.

Slow Cooker Chicken Mole Tacos (Ckng Lght, Jan/Feb 2018)  gluten free
Don't be put off by the long ingredient list - this comes together very quickly.  Once the ancho's have soaked and been seeded, everything is plopped into a blender, given a good puree, and poured over the chicken in the slow cooker.  Cook until chicken is tender, shred, and serve.  Yup. That simple. 

Now, I did use a quartered chicken for this dish - because I have something like 20 hand processed chickens in my freezer - and it worked out "okay".  Little bones and gristle from ribs and knuckles kept cropping up in the finished product which detracted a bit.

Do save the sauce - I used leftover chicken and the sauce to make a pan of enchiladas that I will review next week.  I will say, I thought the enchiladas were better than the tacos.  So, recommended because I got two tasty weeks out of one dish.

2 dried ancho chiles
1 (28-oz.) can unsalted whole tomatoes
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

photo from CookingLight.com

3 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup unsalted chicken stock
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon canned adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce
3 garlic cloves, smashed

2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
1 teaspoon kosher salt
16 (6-in.) corn tortillas
1 ounce Cotija cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 limes, cut into wedges

Place ancho chiles in a bowl; cover with water. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain; remove and discard stems and seeds. Process seeded chiles, tomatoes, onion, almonds, chocolate, raisins, stock, cumin, sauce, cinnamon, chipotle chiles, and garlic in a food processor until smooth.

Sprinkle chicken with salt; place in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add tomato mixture. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. Place chicken on a cutting board; remove bones. Reserve 2 cups sauce for another use. Shred chicken into large pieces; return to slow cooker.

Working with 1 tortilla at a time, heat tortillas over medium-high directly on burner until lightly charred, about 15 seconds per side. Top tortillas with chicken mixture, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Slow Cooker Curried Chicken and Rice (modified from ATK Slow Cooker Revolution)  gluten free option**
I liked the flavor of this dish, I liked the rice and cauliflower (husband...no so much.  Not a fan of cauliflower), I like the ease of prep. 

I didn't like how the chicken turned out and this was entirely on me.  I used a quartered chicken - one of our hand raised, home processed - and I don't know if it was the slow cooker, the coconut milk or the chicken, but it turned out tough.  I did have to add some shredded chicken I had on hand in the freezer (whew!) because I also ran significantly short. 

I would make this dish again, but I would use the chicken thighs as recommended.  I was also trying to think of a way to skip the chicken and make this vegetarian, but other than doubling the cauliflower, I'm drawing a blank.  If you have any suggestions, send them my way!   

2 cups onion, minced
1 jalapeno chili, stemmed, seeded and minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp minced or grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
3 tbsp AP flour (or your GF substitute**)

1 (14 oz can) light coconut milk

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs  (I used a quartered chicken)

2 cups instant rice  (DO NOT use regular rice, or regular basmati rice, it needs to be instant)
1/2 head cauliflower, cored and cut into florets
1 cup frozen peas
3 tbsp sliced almonds
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro

1) Heat 2 tbsp oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onions through garam masala and cook until vegetables are soft and slightly browned (8-10 minutes).  (My notes - ghee would be a good substitute for the oil here.)  Stir in flour or flour substitute and cook for 1 minute.  Slowly stir in coconut milk , scrapig up any browned bits, and smoothing out flour lumps.  Add to slow cooker.

2) Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to slow cookers.  Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4-6 hours.

3)  Break up  or shred chicken with a wooden spoon or a couple of forks (or, if using a quartered chicken, remove, let cool, bone, shred the meat, and add back in after the rice is cooked.) . Stir in rice, cover and cook on high until rice is tender, 20-30 minutes.

4) Cook cauliflower either in the microwave or on the stovetop (I roasted in the oven), until softened.  Stir in cauliflower and peas and let sit until heated through.  Serve with almonds and cilantro (I served with Naan).