Chicken Massaman Curry

Chicken Massaman Curry

I can take no credit for this one, got it from a coworker who found it online.  It is delicious!

Prep Time

20 Min

Cook Time
35 Min

Ready In
55 Min

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons curry paste (or more if you like it HOT)
• 3/4 inch thick slice ginger, minced
• 1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons tamarind paste (I use Worcestershire Sauce)
• 1/3 cup peanut butter (I probably double this because I like it THICK)
• 3 cups peeled, cubed potatoes (I use sweet potatoes and boil them until they are almost cooked)
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk (I use the LITE coconut milk)
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Directions

·          Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the cubed chicken, and cook until the pieces turn white on the outside, about 3 minutes.

·          Stir in curry paste and minced ginger; cook and stir for 2 minutes.

·          Stir in brown sugar, fish sauce, tamarind paste, peanut butter, potatoes, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender and the chicken pieces are no longer pink in the center, about 20 minutes.

·          Add the lime juice and cook for an additional 5 minutes before serving.

·          Serve on basmati rice with naan bread.

OPTIONS FROM OTHER PEOPLE

Ø  use lite coconut milk and I added some carrots, basil and unsalted cashews

Ø  start off frying the paste first with the oil for a couple minutes and then add the creamy part of the coconut milk. I also didn't add peanut butter, because I think that's cheating kind of and another user complained about the thickness of the curry (I like mine soupy, too). I would just use peanuts, throwing them in with the potatoes or at the end, and maybe peanut oil to fry it all up with.

Ø  sweet potato instead of white and added onions and carrots as per another reviewer's suggestion.

Ø  Nutritional InformationThe only thing I substituted was equal parts Worcestershire sauce for the Tamarind paste. I added onions, sweet potatoes and a few strips of bell pepperChicken Massaman CurServings Per Recipe: 4

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 690

·Total Fat: 41.2g

·Cholesterol: 73mg

·Sodium: 1221mg

·Total Carbs: 47.3g

·    Dietary Fiber: 5.5g

·Protein: 38.1g

VIEW DETAILED NUTRITION
About: Nutrition Info

Chicken Spaghetti & Sour Cream Noodle Bake

These next two recipes I took from The Pioneer Woman.  I haven't tried the Chicken Spaghetti and I made a couple of revisions so hopefully it turns out okay!  I just cooked up a couple of chicken breasts and baked them.  As a result, I did not have broth so I just threw some chicken bullion into the water when I was cooking the spaghetti!  I also couldn't find pimentos at the grocery store (I am sure they were there, I just couldn't find them easily...so I gave up quickly). 

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

• 2 cups Cooked Chicken
• 3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
• 2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
• 2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1/4 cup Finely Diced Green Pepper
• 1/4 cup Finely Diced Onion
• 1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
• 2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
• 1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.
Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

Now we did eat the Sour Cream Noodle Bake for supper and it seemed to get a few thumbs up! I would describe it as a better tasting version of Hamburger Helper!  The sour cream and cottage cheese help give it a sharp taste that contrasts well with the hamburger and tomato sauce.  I liked it!

SOUR CREAM NOODLE BAKE

• 1-1/4 pound ground beef
• 1 can 15-ounces Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 8 ounces, weight Egg Noodles
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 1-1/4 cup Cottage Cheese
• 1/2 cup Sliced Green Onions1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown ground chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce. 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.
Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.
To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.

Slow Cooker Beef Barley Stew

I can't give my review on this one as I just froze a couple of bags for the freezer for later.  I have tried a few beef stews from the "freezer recipe" collections and not all have been good but this one seemed a bit different.  And I really enjoy the barley instead of potato!  I took this from the Happy Money Saver site. She says she puts everything except carrots and water in the bag, uncooked, for freezing then tosses it all into the slow cooker.  I decided to par boil the carrots to get them a bit soft and threw them in as well. So I will only need to add water on the day of cooking!  I'll let you know what I think when we have it.

1 lb Beef Stew Meat, (diced small)

1 1/4 cups sliced or chopped carrot
1 1/4 cups chopped onion 

 3/4 cup chopped celery
5 Cups Water
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 TBSP Beef Bouillon powder
1/2 cup pearl barley
15 oz can tomato sauce

Place all ingredients in a 5 quart slow cooker or Crockpot. Stir it up. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on High.

Goat Cheese and Fig Mmmmmmmuffins

I have had this recipe in my inbox for ages and decided to try them today. They are delicious! 

The goat cheese mixture is...not much like goat cheese at all! The honey seems to soften the flavour. 

Oh, and I forgot to sprinkle with sugar and it didn't seem to matter. Looking forward to breakfast this week!

• 3/4 cup crumbled soft goat cheese, or cream cheese;
• 2 tablespoons
  honey
• 1 teaspoon
  lemon zest, freshly grated
• 1 1/4 teaspoons
  vanilla extract, divided
•   2 cups
  white whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons
  baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon
  baking soda
•   1/4 teaspoon
  salt
• 2 large
  eggs
• 1 large
  egg white
• 3/4 cup
  brown sugar, packed dark or light
• 1 cup
  buttermilk, low-fat or nonfat
• 1/3 cup
  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 cup
  dried figs, chopped
•   3 tablespoons
  turbinado, or granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with paper liners or coat with cooking spray.
2. Thoroughly combine goat cheese (or cream cheese), honey, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Lightly beat eggs and egg white in a medium bowl; add brown sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and whisk until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in buttermilk and oil until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in figs.
4. Spoon half the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Add 1 generous teaspoon of the reserved cheese filling to the center of each muffin, and cover with the remaining batter. (The filling should not be visible.) Sprinkle the muffins with sugar.
5. Bake the muffins until the edges start to brown and the tops spring back when gently pressed, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Seafood Lasagna

12 lasagna noodles
1 cup trimmed and halved snow peas
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp minced garlic
2 1/2 cups 1% milk
5 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tsp reduced sodium chicken bouillon powder
1/2 tsp each dry mustard and pepper
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 pound (340 g) bay scallops
3/4 pound (340 g) lump crab meat, chopped or bite sized pieces
3/4 cup packed shredded light old cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1.Prepare lasagna noodles according to package directions.  Drain.  Rinse with cold water and drain again.  Set aside.
2. Place snow peas and red peppers in a microwave safe dish with 1/4 cup of water.  Heat on high power for 3 minutes.  Drain and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and egg.  Set aside.
4. To make sauce, melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add garlic.  Cook one minute.
5. Whisk together milk and flour until smooth. Add to garlic in pot.  Increase heat to medium-high.  Stir using a whisk.  Cook until mixture is bubbly and has thickened about 7 or 8 minutes.
6.Stir in bullion powder, dry mustard, pepper and salt.  Add scallops.  Cook until scallops are opaque about 5 minutes.  Stir in crab meat, 1/2 cup of cheese, parsley, snow peas and red pepper.  Cook for 1 more minute until cheese is completely melted.  Remove sauce from heat.
7. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.  To assemble lasagna, cover bottom of baking dish with 3 noodles.  Pour 1/3 sauce over top.  Layer 3 more noodles over sauce.  Spread all of the ricotta-parmesan mixture over noodles, followed by 1/3 of the sauce.  Top with 3 more noodles, remaining sauce and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over top.
8. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

This is from the Looneyspoons Collection, originally called "Anchors A-weigh Seafood Lasagna".  I have made it as the recipe calls and again when I had some left over lobster to use.  I replaced the scallops with the lobster and kept the crab meat as called for.  It is very rich, one piece goes a long way.  I am sure you could use any variation of seafood that you like in this recipe.

Summer Break & Falafels

We have decided to not meet and swap over the summer months.  As much as we have enjoyed getting together and exchanging meals, we have busy lives which often made it challenging to squeeze in the massive meal preps and even finding a convenient time to meet! We figured with the nicer weather and some vacation time ahead over the next few months, we would break for June/July/August and reconvene in the fall.  We also agreed that most of us tend to do more salads and grilling in the summer so our need for freezer meals would likely be less.  I still want to have a few things in my freezer so I've decided to freeze a few meals into lunch side portions instead.  Although making suppers is easier when we are BBQing, we never seem to have anything left over...which is my preferred choice of packed lunch.  Last week I made some Moroccan Stew and last night I made up some Thai Meatballs.  I also decided to try a Falafel recipe that a coworker had made and I instantly thought, "they would be great for freezing!" so here is the recipe.

FULLafel Patties (from the Looneyspoon Collection)

1 can (19 oz) chick peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup red onion
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp tahini
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp each coriander, chili powder, salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 cayenne pepper
2 tbsp olive oil, divided

Add all ingredients except olive oil to the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse on and off, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until mixture is the consistency of very thick cookie dough.  Transfer mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour (it will firm up).

Using about 2 tbsp "dough" per patty, form mixture into 15 balls.  Using your hands, flatten balls slightly to form 2 inch patties.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add half the patties to the skillet.  Cover and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, until patties are lightly browned and heated through.  Be careful not to burn them.  Remove patties from skillet and keep warm.  Cook remaining patties in remaining 1 tbsp oil.  Patties will firm up a bit if left to cool slightly before service.

Now this was my first time making them, so I learned a few things! I found my texture too sticky and in hindsight should have added a little more flour.  I probably threw in too much lemon juice (and I am terrible for not measuring anything when I cook!).  I also did not have tahini so I used peanut butter, but I doubt if that would have affected things too much.  Just make sure the texture is not too wet as it makes it harder to roll into balls (as happened to me).  Also, my patties didn't really fill out much so I question how well my baking soda worked. I am not a baker, so it is possible it has been in my cupboard for a year - should have checked the expiry date first!  Having said all this, the taste was delicious!  I will definitely try making them again...and did freeze me results for some quick lunches this summer.

I also made up a fruit salad which has a really tasty sauce you might enjoy.

Rootie Toot Fruit Salad (Looneyspoons Collection)

2 cups low fat plain greek yogurt
2 tbsp liquid honey
1 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tsp orange zest
6 cups chopped fresh fruit

To make dressing, mix first four ingredients together in a small bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Stir dressing and fruit together in a large bowl.  Serve immediately.

I have put all my fruit into a separate bowl and just toss with dressing prior to eating a single serving. I threw a little granola on top to make it a breakfast meal. It has a really nice tangy orange taste to it!

Cheesy Leek and Potato Pie

This is from 
http://www.amuse-your-bouche.com/recipes/

This was one I've had my eye on for a while and never made. Easy to make and yummy to eat (we had it for supper tonight).



Makes one large pie (around 12 inches)

1 frozen pie crust
1tbsp oil
1 leek, halved lengthwise then sliced (Don't forget to wash them!)
2 cloves garlic, minced1lb potatoes1.5 tbsp butter, softened
200g cheddar cheese, grated
2tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/4tsp mild/medium curry powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
3tbsp milk

Heat the oven to 200°C (Gas Mark 6 / 400°F).

Heat the oil in a frying pan, and cook the leeks and garlic over a medium heat for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are soft.

Meanwhile, chop the potatoes into fairly small chunks (I left the skins on), and boil for around 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Drain and set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Use a fork to lightly mash the potatoes – they should not be completely smooth, but you don’t want huge lumps left either. Add the leeks and garlic, butter, parsley, curry powder, egg, milk, and half of the cheese. Mix well. Transfer the mixture to the pie crust, and spread out into an even layer. Top with the remaining cheese, and bake for a further 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is crispy and the crust is fully cooked. I finished it under the broiler for about 2 minutes.

Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas with Creamy Salsa Verde

I just made these for this months's meal swap and they were really good!  I did make a couple of mistakes though.  I had a small amount of curry powder in a little bag that I somehow mistook for cumin, so I added about 2.5 teaspoons of curry to this dish!  Curry is such a strong taste that I tried to add a little extra cumin to try to counteract it, so it might have a lot of flavors competing! For our vegetarian friend, I just added some extra beans (she did not get the curry error, so we'll see what she thinks...if it's too bland without it!) and used vegetable broth.  I also forgot to top all of them with the fresh cilantro I had specifically bought just for this recipe! I think I have done this in the past too.  If I am cooking for us at home, I don't always bother with fresh garnishes...so this is likely why I forgot.  I prepared the filling ingredients (with cooked chicken, I bought a couple of rotisserie chickens at the grocery store to make life easier) and then prepared the sauce but I did not bake it all together.  I froze it prior to baking.

Warning: They do have a little heat to them.  I reduce the jalapenos (even though I love them, not everybody else does!!)

This is from the skinnytaste.com blog!

Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas with Creamy Green Chile Sauce
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 enchilada • Old Points: 4 • Points: 5
Calories: 230 • Fat: 7.3 g • Protein: 20.4 g • Carb: 28.7 g • Fiber: 12.2 g 
Ingredients:
For the Chicken and White Bean Filling:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced white onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
• 15.5 oz can Navy beans (or Cannellini beans)
• 8 oz cooked shredded chicken breast
• 1/3 can water
• 1 chicken bullion
• 1 tsp cumin

For the Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:

• 1 tsp butter
• 1/2 cup chopped white onion
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth
• 7 oz can chopped green chile
• 2 jalapeños, chopped (I used jarred)
• salt
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 3/4 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese
• 8 medium low car tortilla 
• chopped fresh cilantro or scallions (or both!)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°.
For the Filling:
In a medium pan, heat olive oil on low. Add onions, garlic and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add green chiles, beans, water, bullion, and cumin. Mix well and cover. Simmer on low 15 minutes. Remove cover, add chicken and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until it thickens and liquid boils down. Set aside.Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:
In a large nonstick pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add flour and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth. Whisk until the sauce becomes smooth. Cook over medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Add green chiles, jalepeños, and salt to tatse. Cook another minute then remove from the heat. Stir in the sour cream.
Spread about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Fill each tortilla with 1/3 cup of the chicken/white bean filling. Roll the tortillas and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling remainder of the tortillas.
Pour the enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with cheese. Cover with aluminum and bake 20-30 minutes, until the enchiladas are hot and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with fresh cilantro or scallions.

Avocado Risotto

Love avocados, but get tired of having them on burgers, in wraps, or salad. Found this recipe and we whipped it up tonight. It was too delicious not to share! I'm not sure it'd be a good freezer meal, but it' definitely a good meal deal.

 

Avocado risotto

Author: Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche

Recipe type: Main meal

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  35 mins

Serves: 3

 

Ingredients

• 1tbsp oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 190g arborio rice
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• ~1l hot water
• 2 avocados
• 1tbsp lime juice
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 100g edam cheese, grated or diced
• 2tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, wok or risotto pan, and cook the onion and garlic over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the rice and cook for a further 2 minutes.
2. Mix the stock cube with about 150ml hot water, and add to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the liquid has nearly all been absorbed. Add more hot water around 150ml at a time, again waiting for it to be mostly absorbed before adding more, and stirring regularly. Continue adding water until the rice is cooked – I ended up using just over a litre, but you might need slightly more or less.
3. Meanwhile, coarsely mash the avocado with a fork, along with the lime juice and salt and pepper.
4. When the rice is cooked, add the edam, then the mashed avocado and chopped parsley, and mix until combined. Serve warm.

Indian Coconut-Curry Chicken Thighs

Just caught this one on the Podleski sister's facebook status one day, from their September 2012 newsletter and not from one of their Looneyspoon cookbooks.  I just made it, smells good...will have to give the taste review at a later time!

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs (907 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 ½ cups chopped onions
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp EACH freshly grated gingerroot, medium curry powder and Garam Masala (Say what? See tip below.)
1 can (14 oz/398 ml) light coconut milk
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp brown sugar (optional)
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes
1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro

Directions

You’ll need a large (12-inch) non-stick skillet with a lid for this recipe.
Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and brown on both sides. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
To same skillet, add onions and garlic. Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir until onions begin to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add gingerroot, curry powder and garam masala. Mix well. Add coconut milk, tomato paste, brown sugar (if using) and salt. Cook and stir until mixture is bubbly and well blended. Stir in sweet potatoes. Return chicken pieces to skillet and spoon sauce over top. It won’t look very pretty at this point but hang in there. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in green peas and cook for 5 more minutes, just until peas are heated through. Stir in cilantro and serve hot.
Recipe Tip: If you’ve never tried Garam Masala spice blend, now’s your chance! It’s a highly aromatic blend of roasted, ground spices used in Indian cooking: coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and black peppercorns. We love it and you really must try it! Look for McCormick brand Garam Masala in the spice aisle of your grocery store. (You’ll also find it in just about any gourmet food shop.) Like really spicy food? Then add a pinch of cayenne pepper to this recipe.

Makes 4 to 5 servings

Per serving (based on 5 servings): 388 calories, 16 g total fat (6 g saturated fat), 39 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate, 3.7 g fiber, 151 mg cholesterol, 445 mg sodium

"Deceptively Delicious" Sloppy Joes

This is from Jessica Seinfield's "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook.  I used a sweet potato/squash puree and also added optional chopped carrots.  Meal Deals group requested an alternative to beef, chicken, or turkey, so used lean ground pork and veggie ground round for vegetarian option.  I served it on whole wheat hot dog buns as seam from hot dog bun "held" the filling in best!

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground turkey or sirloin
1/2 cup sweet potato puree
1/2 cup butternut squash or red pepper puree
raw, finely chopped carrots (optional)
1/2 cup reduced-fat low-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 whole-grain hamburger or hot-dog buns

Directions

1. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil. Add the onion, celery, and garlic, and cook until the onion starts to soften (not brown), 3 - 4 minutes.

2. Add the meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until no longer pink, 4 - 5 minutes.

3. Add the vegetable purees, raw chopped carrots (if using), beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about one-half, 15 - 20 minutes.

4. Spoon the mixture over buns and serve.

Serves 8

"Miss American Thighs" Chicken Thighs with Grape Jelly Sauce

A favourite at our house from the Looneyspoons cookbook.  Easy to assemble.  Made it this time with bone in thighs and removed skin before cooking.  Prefer the ease of using skinless boneless thighs.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup grape jelly
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup minced onions
2 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. dry mustard
3 lb. chicken thighs, skin removed

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan, stir together grape jelly, ketchup, onions, vinegar, and dry mustard. Heat over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil and jelly is melted. Remove from heat.

Arrange chicken pieces in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Pour sauce evenly over chicken and turn pieces to coat both sides. Bake uncovered for 1 hour, until chicken is very tender. Makes 4-6 servings.

Chicken (or Turkey!) Divan

This is my hubby's favorite recipe!  I think it is his favorite part of a big turkey dinner, knowing that we will have turkey divan the following day.  I first received this recipe from his mother and since then I have experimented with a few variations of this recipe from online sources, but this is probably the simplest and easiest version out there - and it tastes great, too!  It should be served over a bed of rice to make it a meal.

2 bunches cooked broccoli
4 cups of cubed, cooked chicken (or turkey)
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 cup of grated cheese
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp curry powder
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1 tbsp of butter

Cook broccoli and spread into a buttered casserole dish (I used Pam spray).  Top with turkey. Combine soup, mayo, lemon juice, curry powder and cheese.  Pour over meat.  Top with butter and bread crumbs.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.  Cut in squares to serve (I find it more soupy than dense, so we usually just scoop it out on our rice).

The vegetarian version substituted sauteed mushrooms for the chicken and cream of mushroom soup instead of chicken.  You could experiment with any cream soup and flavors you like.  This recipe didn't originally call for curry but I added it after trying another divan recipe that used curry, and really liked it!

Sundried Tomato Pesto Veggie Pizza (now that's a mouthful!)

This is one of my favourite homemade pizzas and I was happy when T suggested it for the next swap. It's really the pesto sauce that makes the difference. There's no recipe per se, but I'l walk through what I did.

So you'll need pizza dough and pizza sauce. I used the Kraft boxed set - dough, sauce, Parmesan cheese, spices.

Mozzarella cheese. About 1-1.5 cups. Depends on how cheesy you like it! I've had it with just the parm alone or with cheddar instead of mozza. All have been good.

Veggies - whatever you like. I find this mix has the best combo of flavors - fresh mushrooms (about 8 sliced), red, yellow, orange pepper (1/4 of each chopped), green onion (1 bunch chopped), 1/2 white onion chopped. I also really like artichoke hearts, but didn't use them this month because I wasn't sure how the kiddies in the families would take them. For the meat eaters of the group, chicken is the one to add.

The magic ingredient - About half a bottle of Classico Sundried Tomato Pesto.   It's usually on the top shelf with the pasta sauces. Small bottle. There's a straight up pesto one as well, but the sundried is better for the pizza. I've used more or less depending on the size of the pizza and amount of veggies. Essentially, you want them all well coated.

Make the dough according to the package. Once I have it in a nice ball, I usually let it sit in a covered bowl in a warm oven for 10-15 minutes. Spray pizza pan. Spread dough on a pan. Once I have it spread as much as I can, I put it back in the warm oven for 2-3 minutes and then take it out to finish spreading. The warmth makes it much more pliable.

Toss the veggies (chicken if you're going that way) and pesto together in a bowl.

Spread pizza sauce over dough.
Spread veggies over sauce.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over veggies.
Sprinkle spices over cheese.
Top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake according to the pizza box. I just check the dough to make sure it's doing ok. I imagine baking from frozen will need a little extra time. I didn't cook these pizzas before freezing them.

Slow Cooker Hearty Beef Stew

I have been making this one for a few years in the slow cooker.  I don't always love meat in the slow cooker as it's often too watery for my taste but coating the meat with flour prior to cooking helps a lot.  And we love the flavor of this recipe!  We usually have it with bread so we don't waste any of the delicious juices.  I will provide the recipe first as it is written for the slow cooker and then I'll tell you how I adapted it for the stove top to make a big pot for the meal swap!

3 carrots, peeled, sliced
3 potatoes, diced
1 large onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 lbs stewing beef, cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaves
1 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons browning sauce

1. Arrange vegetables in a slow cooker - top with beef chunks.  Set aside.
2. Mix flour, salt, pepper and sprinkle over meat.
3. Stir well, add remaining ingredients.
4. Cover, Heat on low setting for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
5. Remove and discard bay leaf.

So I quadrupled the recipe for our meal swap.  I kept all the ingredients the same, I just changed the order I did everything. First, I sauteed the onions, celery and garlic in a bit of olive oil until soft.  Then I added the beef (tip: my beef was still partially frozen when I was dicing and it is SO much easier to cut...will remember this for the future!) and let it brown up a bit. Next, I added the spices, veggies and beef broth.  Then I mixed up the flour with water as if I was making gravy.  I turned the heat up to high and got everything boiling, added my flour/water mix and reduced it down to simmer.  I probably let it simmer for 2-3 hours.  I think everything was cooked earlier than that, but I thought it would be nice to let the flavors simmer as long as possible.  Cooled it all off in the fridge and froze it in individual Ziploc bags.

Cabbage Roll Casserole

This was definitely less labor intensive than cabbage rolls and is pretty tasty. It's from the Looneyspoons Collection, which is my favorite cookbook ever.

Here it is:

2tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 tsp minced garlic
1.5 cups reduced sodium beef or chicken broth
3/4 cup uncooked brown rice
1 medium head of cabbage (about 3-4lb)
1.5lb extra lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey
1 egg
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
2 cans (10oz) reduced sodium condensed tomato soup

Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook and stir for about 3 minutes, until onions begin to soften. Add broth and rice. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed. remove from heat.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cut cabbage into 8 wedges. Boil cabbage wedges for 5 minutes. Drain. Remove inner tough pieces. Separate individual leaves and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cooked rice, with beef, egg, parsley, marjoram, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line bottom with half the cabbage. Spread beef-rice mixture evenly over cabbage. Top remaining leaves with remaining cabbage.

Empty both cans of soup into a medium bowl. Add 1 can of water and mix well. Pour soup evenly over cabbage. cover and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and cook for another 45 minutes. Let cook for 5 minutes before serving.

Lentil Soup

A friend of mine forwarded me this recipe this summer, and I loved it, very colourful and flavourful with unusual combination of ingredients.  I adjusted a few things to make it suitable for our vegetarian friends and it freezes well.  I've divided this one up into two ziplock bag portions per batch, as it does make a very large pot.

 

Lentil Soup

 

Olive oil

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

1 box of chicken broth

4 cups water

1 cup salsa

4 sausages ( remove casing and cut up)

1 chicken breast – bone in/skinless

1 cup lentils

½ cup barley

1 bag spinach

1 can chick peas

 

Cook onion, garlic and sausage then barley and cook for about a minute more.  Then add chicken broth, water, chicken and lentils.  Bring to a boil and then lower heat and continue to cook for about 30 minutes.  Remove chicken & shred it.  Add it back to the soup along with the chickpeas, spinach and salsa.

Cook's Notes: In place of 4 sausages I used 1 lb of ground sausage meat.  I also used baby spinach leaves in place of full leaf spinach.

Cheesy Tuna Pie

I found this recipe when I was at a playgroup, flipping through an easy and family friendly cookbook.  I was interested as it had familiar ingredients and I thought the "pot pie" type of set up would work great as a freezer meal. 

Cheesy Tuna Pie
Source: Diane Nemitz/ Ludington, Michigan

2 cups cooked rice
2 cans (6 oz each) tun, drained and flaked
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup (4 oz) grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1 can (4 oz) sliced black olives
2 tbsp onion flakes
1 unbaked pie crust.

1) Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spray 9 inch deep dish pie pan with non stick spray

2) Combine all ingredients except pie crust in medium bowel mix well.  Spoon into prepared pie pan.  Place pie crust over tuna mixture; press edges to pie pan to seal.  cut slits for steam to escape.

3) Bake 20 minutes or until crust is browned and filling is bubbly.

Makes 6 servings.

Cook's Notes:  I used 2 shells for this recipe for top and bottom.  I also used reduced fat ingredients where available (sour cream, mayo and cheese).  It is a generous amount of filling in the pie and quite "meat-y".  the onion flakes give it good flavour.

Reggae (Pork) Gumbo

Another one from the Looneyspoons Collection.  This one is subtitled, "Spicy Pork tenderloin gumbo with tomatoes, mushrooms and sweet potatoes". I made a couple of variations of this one for the swap: one without pork (and extra mushrooms) for the vegetarians and one with less mushrooms for the family that doesn't prefer fungi! The rest I did follow to recipe with the exception that I used a pork loin roast as it was on sale.

1 tsp olive oil
1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cups diced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onions
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 can (28 oz) no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (5.5 oz) tomatoe paste
1 tsp each ground cumin and grated gingeroot
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp each salt, ground black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
1 cup sliced okra or zucchini
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add prok cubes and cook until lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Add mushrooms, onions, garlic and celery.  Cook and stir until vegetables are tender, about five minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and their liquid, tomato paste, cumin , gingeroot, oregano, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in sweet potatoes and okra.  Cover and simmer another 30-35 minutes, until pork and potatoes are very tender.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.  Serve hot.

French Pastry Chili (Vegetarian)

N. made this chili for our first meal swap and I absolutely loved the flavor so I decided to make up another batch tonight.  I doubled the recipe as I remembered the big portions that N. had made for us all (and it was when we coined the term "slab" and "half slab" to refer to the portions of chili that we consumed given it's enormous size, especially when frozen flat in a Ziploc bag!)
I made it vegetarian as my family gobbled it up and didn't seem to notice the missing meat, so I thought I'd try it again!

Ingredients:
2 onions - chopped        
4 stalks celery - chopped          
1 red pepper - chopped               
8 whole mushrooms                  
1 shredded carrot                     
1 can tomato soup                    
1 bottle chili sauce                    
3/4 cup ketchup                        
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
 2 (19 oz) brown beans in tomato sauce
 2 tbsp vinegar
 4 tbsp molasses
 1 tsp chili powder
 1/2 tsp red/cayenne pepper
 1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes

Fry onion, celery, mushroom, red pepper together until onions are transparent.  Add all other ingredients and cook on low heat for two hours.  Add in additional ingredients, such as chick peas, to suit preferences.  1 lb of ground beef can be added as well.

What I really liked about this chili is the sweet and spicy combination.  I generally like hot foods and this has enough spice to make it interesting, but the sweet taste really compliments the flavors.  I am not sure why it calls for whole mushrooms and tomatoes though - they seem a little big to me, might chop them up next time!  And I must confess, I was too lazy to grate a carrot so I left it out.  I didn't figure it would have a big impact on taste anyway!

Sundried Tomato Penne

This recipe made enough to split between two dishes. It wasn't as saucy as Martha Stewart's picture showed it to be, but I'm sure that's not the first time there's been a discrepancy in a Martha pic and another cook's pic!

It is very cheesy, so was kind of like a mac-n-cheese with  a white sauce. I substituted peppers for the chicken. I wished it was saucier,  but it tasted yummy. We cooked ours without having frozen it first. The cook time from frozen seems long, so keep and eye on it.

• Prep Time 35 minutes
• Total Time 1 hour
• Yield Serves 8

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound penne rigate
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each), halved horizontally
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups whole milk
• 10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces)
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan (4 ounces)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta, and return to pot.
   
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.
   
3. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
   
4. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes; sprinkle each with cup Parmesan.
   
5. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
   

Cook's Note

To Freeze: Prepare through step 4; let cool. Cover tightly with foil, and freeze, up to 3 months.

To Bake From Frozen: Preheat oven to 400, and bake (still covered in foil) on a rimmed baking sheet until center is hot, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil; bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.