kbecker57

Beef and pineapple curry

This was something a little different for me…but I was inspired by the green beans I blanched and froze from last summer’s CSA. Speaking of CSA, I haven’t signed up for one yet and I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do!

Beef and pineapple curry
Serves: 4
Source: adapted from Everyday Food, October 2011

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup red curry paste
1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed and cut against the grain into thin strips
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
2 cups (12 ounces) diced fresh pineapple
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup coconut milk
Cooked rice, for serving
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Directions
1. In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in curry paste and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add steak and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until browned.

2. Add green beans, bell pepper, and pineapple and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until pineapple starts to release juices.

3. Add broth and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until green beans are crisp-tender, 8 minutes.

4. Serve over rice, topped with basil.

Dijon-rosemary chicken thighs with butternut squash

I got a new cookbook for Christmas (thanks Battenfelds!) and it’s all about the sheet pan. Cooking your protein and veg together on the same pan is definitely a win for me!

Even when I make a list for the grocery store, I seem to always manage to forget something. This time it was the maple syrup, so I improvised and subbed in brown sugar. The original version also uses sugar pumpkin but suggests butternut squash or sweet potatoes as an alternative. I think sweet potatoes would cook faster than the chicken (the butternut squash kind of did), though it depends on how you cut it. If you’re using sweet potatoes or small pieces of squash, you could add them to the pan after the first 10-15 minutes of cooking the chicken.

Dijon-rosemary chicken thighs with butternut squash
Serves: 3-4

Prepping the squash

Source: adapted from Sheet Pan cookbook

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 large loves garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
4 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
1/2 butternut squash, cut into wedges or large chunks
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Ready for the oven

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil (I use nonstick foil).

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and rosemary. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Set aside.

Roasted chicken and squash goodness!

3. In another large bowl, mix together the butternut squash, brown sugar, chili powder, and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.

4. Arrange the squash on one half of the prepared pan. Place the chicken, skin side up, on the other half of the pan. Season both the squash and the chicken with salt and pepper.

5. Roast the chicken and squash for about 45 minutes, giving the squash a stir about halfway through, until the chicken is opaque throughout and the squash is soft. Enjoy!

Banana blueberry whole wheat muffins

Have I mentioned that I am picky about bananas? I don’t buy or eat them that often as there is a very narrow window of “ripeness” that I like. This week I let one get too ripe and decided it was a sign that I should make banana bread or muffins. Of course then I had to buy another banana to have enough for this recipe.

A heads up that this recipe requires three, yes three, mixing bowls — one for dry ingredients, one for butter and sugars, and one for the banana mixture. It also recommends using a mixer but I cheated on that part and mixed it by hand.

I made 16 muffins with this recipe instead of 12. Breakfast all week for me, and the rest in the freezer.

Banana blueberry whole wheat muffins
Makes: 12-16 muffins

Muffins for everyone!

Source: Everyday Food, Jan/Feb 2009

Ingredients
1 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup frozen blueberries

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line your muffin pan(s) with paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Set aside.

4. In a medium bowl, mash bananas with a fork and then stir in milk and vanilla.

5. To the butter and sugar mixture, alternate adding flour mixture and banana mixture and mix until just combined. Gently fold in blueberries.

6. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, rotating pan halfway through. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Roasted cauliflower soup

Remember that cauliflower kale salad where I roasted the whole head of cauliflower but only used half of it? Here’s what I decided to do with the other half! I cut the recipe down since I only had half of the cauliflower, but the full version is below.

I don’t have an immersion blender so my soup went into the food processor, in two batches. I wish I could have gotten it a bit smoother; next time I’d try the blender.

I served it with one of my new favorite combinations from Trader Joe’s: pretzel roll (sliced) topped with goat cheese and olive tapenade. Yum.

Simmering cauliflower

Roasted cauliflower soup
Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup milk or cream
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Soup’s on!

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Toss cauliflower florets with 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes or until soft, tossing occasionally. Set aside.
In a large pot, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and saute 3-4 minutes until softened. Stir in rosemary and cook for another minute or so.
Add vegetable broth and cauliflower and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in milk/cream and remove from heat.
Place cauliflower and broth mixture into a food processor and process until smooth, working in batches if needed. Return to pot and stir in shredded cheese. Cook over low, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted and soup is piping hot. Enjoy!

Roasted cauliflower and kale salad

I made this on a weeknight and the cauliflower took longer than I expected. It would be great to roast it ahead of time and then this definitely becomes an easy and healthy weeknight meal. I roasted the whole head of cauliflower, but only put half in the salad. If you roast the whole head, use 2 Tbsp olive oil.

When mixing the kale, I like to massage it with my hands. This will help soften it. I chose lacinato (also called Tuscan) kale because you don’t necessarily have to de-stem it.

Roasted cauliflower and kale salad

Hearty salad

Inspired by Good Housekeeping
Serves: 2-3 main dish, 4 sides

Ingredients
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets
3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and ground black pepper
1 bunch lacinato kale, washed and chopped
Juice from 1 lemon
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup toasted pecans
1/2 cup chick peas
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Toss cauliflower florets with 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes or until soft, tossing occasionally.

2. In a large bowl, mix together kale, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let sit while cauliflower cooks or at least 5 minutes.

3. Remove cauliflower from oven and let cool slightly, then add to kale. Mix in onion, pecans, chick peas, and goat cheese. Serve and enjoy!

Mini frittatas

This is so my kind of recipe — prep once, use what you have, and there’s breakfast for days. With a basic base of eggs and milk (I am obsessed with almond/coconut milk these days), you can get creative with whatever else you want to throw in. The original recipe had spinach, goat cheese, roasted red pepper, and prosciutto. I went with spinach, red onion, shredded mozzarella, and crumbled bacon…the frozen, real bacon kind, not the bacon bits kind.

I am still always amazed by how much fresh spinach cooks down. You want to just wilt the spinach and then remove it from the heat. If you have time, let it cool a bit before mixing it in with the eggs. You don’t want the hot spinach to start to cook the eggs!

I used a 1/4-cup measuring cup to fill the muffin cups, which was just about the perfect amount. Unfortunately my muffin tin is pretty shallow so the cups were pretty pretty full when I put them in the oven, and then they puffed up and overflowed a bit while cooking. If you think your’re at risk of overflow, put the muffin tin on a baking sheet in the oven to avoid having to clean your oven afterwards! #themoreyouknow

Wilting spinach

Mini frittatas
Inspired by Good Housekeeping, January 2017
Makes: 12 mini frittatas

Ingredients

Filled muffin cups, pre overflow

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
5 ounces baby spinach
6 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese
3 Tablespoons crumbled bacon (optional)
Salt and pepper

Directions

Breakfast, with a side of avocado toast

1. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3-4 minutes until softened. Stir in spinach and cook until just wilted. Remove from heat.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3. In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk. Stir in cheese and spinach mixture and season with salt and pepper.

4. Divide egg mixture evenly into muffin pan cups (about 1/4 cup each) and top each with crumbled bacon. Bake 20-25 minutes or until center is just set.

5. Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes before removing from cups. Serve warm. To reheat leftovers, microwave on high for about 30 seconds. Enjoy!

Related posts
Chard and ricotta pie
Marathon strata
Spinach bacon cheddar strata

Sweet potato chicken chili

I was recently looking for a recipe that would set me up with lunches for the week. I was inspired by this recipe for sweet potato chili by Cotter Crunch and decided to do a little freezer clean-out at the same time. That means that my version became a sweet potato chicken chili, using some leftover roasted chicken, homemade broth, and black beans.

Chili!

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5-ounces) diced tomatoes
2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Just add cheese, and avocado, and sour cream

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (or 1/2 pound ground meat of your liking)
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
Shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced avocado for topping

Directions
1. To the ceramic insert of your slow cooker, add sweet potatoes, onion, pepper, and garlic. Stir in diced tomatoes, chipotle peppers, black beans, spices, and shredded chicken.

2. Cook on low for 4 hours (or high for 2 hours). Stir in cilantro and serve. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced avocado, or your other favorite chili toppings. Enjoy!

Related chili posts
Fall vegetable chili
Vegetarian black bean chili
White bean chicken chili

Spinach and artichoke dip

Hosting a gathering for the Superbowl tomorrow? This spinach artichoke dip is a crowd-pleaser, and you can prep it ahead of time…like today. Pull that box of frozen spinach out of the freezer and start to defrost it. When you are ready to put everything together, make sure to squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the spinach. Watery dip is delicious, said no one ever.

Serve with veggies, pita chips, toasted slices of baguette, or your favorite dipping vehicle.

Spinach artichoke dip

Spinach artichoke dip, ready for the oven

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients
1 package (10-ounce) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
1 jar (6.5-ounce) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, plus more for topping
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients and place mixture in an oven-proof dish. Sprinkle top with additional mozzarella cheese.

3. Bake for 30-40 minutes until dip is hot and bubbly and cheese is melted. I kept it covered with foil for most of the time, and uncovered it just for the last 10 minutes or so. Enjoy!

Mashed sweet potatoes

Have you ever tried to make mashed sweet potatoes the same way you would make “regular” mashed potatoes? How did they turn out? Probably not so great, if I had to guess. I don’t like to boil sweet potatoes because they absorb too much of the water. The trick is to cook them in a small amount of liquid — I use a combination of light cream and broth, sometimes adding a bit more broth as some of the liquid cooks off or gets absorbed by the potatoes. I also like to top them with some toasted pecans for some extra flavor and crunch!

Mashed sweet potatoes

Mashed sweet potatoes with pecans

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4-1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3 Tablespoons light cream, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 medium)
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans (optional)

Directions
1. Peel sweet potatoes, then quarter them lengthwise and cut into chunks about 1/4″ thick.

2. Combine butter, 2 Tablespoons cream, 1/4 cup broth, salt, pepper, and sweet potatoes in a large saucepan. Cook, covered, over low heat until potatoes are soft and falling apart, 35-40 minutes. Check occasionally and add more broth if the liquid has cooked off.

3. Remove from heat, add remaining Tablespoon of cream and mash with a potato masher. Top with chopped pecans and enjoy!

Bacon jam

The bacon…

Bacon jam made an appearance on New Year’s Eve and helped kickstart 2017 in a delicious way. And I have determined that bacon jam really goes with everything…which is great because the recipe makes A LOT and a little goes a long way.

The jam…

It went really well with the cheese plate (I mean, what doesn’t go well with cheese?) and my favorite combination was a li’l bacon jam and a li’l blue cheese on a cracker. I also made an adult BLT with bacon jam, blue cheese, lettuce, and tomato. I also really like it with a deviled or hard-boiled egg, which also means it would probably be great with any type of breakfast egg (sunny, scrambled, omelet, etc).

Flashback: February 4, 2015

Slow-cooker bacon jam
Source: Everyday Food, December 2010

Makes: 3 cups

Ingredients

Into the slow cooker…

1.5 pounds sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces (two 12-ounce packages)
2 medium yellow onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup brewed coffee

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.

Bacon jam!

2. Pour off all but 1 Tablespoon of fat from skillet; add onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, and coffee and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet with a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Add bacon and stir to combine.

3. Transfer mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on high, uncovered, until liquid is syrupy, 3.5-4 hours. Transfer to a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Let cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers, up to 4 weeks.