Archives for posts with tag: spicy

super slow curry.

October 26, 2014 //
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delicata squash

delicata squash + various seasonal veggies

rainbow carrots 2

The day after a girls night with glass of wine after glass of wine will make for a slow moving Saturday, and this was the perfect way to spend the afternoon. After making it back to Santa Cruz I grabbed my friend K and headed to New Leaf, where we rambled through the store like a pair of lovers and picked out veggies and spices to put together this savory curry. I also picked up a breakfast burrito and a six pack, to help cure the hangover, because we were both moving at a snails pace this afternoon. The rain and the completely free day made preparing dual curries at her home feel guilt free and productive. I had planned on starting the curry at noon, which would make it perfect to consume six hours later during the SF Giants game 4 of the World Series, even with the extra pair of hands we didn’t end up starting our cookers until 2:30pm and now we have dinner (or breakfast) for Sunday. It was fun to share ingredients and stories with my girl and using the slow cooker made it brainless and left time to take a West Cliff stroll with the doggies. (K made her curry sans chicken and can easily be made veggie or vegan)

Serve with brown or white rice.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs of organic boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 delicata squash, seeded and cut into chunks
  • 1/2 bunch rainbow carrots, chopped
  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 1 yellow squash, chopped
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk
  • 1 (15 oz) can of plain tomato sauce
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 heaping tbs of red curry paste
  • 2 1/2 tsp yellow curry powder
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp gram masala
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 bunch of curly leaf kale, stems removed and chopped

Instructions

  1. Add the chicken thighs to the bottom of your crock pot with the chopped onion and delicata squash.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, tomato sauce, garlic, ginger, curry paste and spices. Once whisked together well, pour it on-top of your chicken and squash in the crock pot.
  3. Cook on low for six hours, adding the kale in the last 15-30 minutes of cooking time.
  4. Serve over rice, cauliflower “rice”, or simply on it’s own! Enjoy!
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Categories Healthy Meals

sweet pineapple + jalapeño infused tequila margaritas.

August 11, 2014 //
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Tequila, in moderation, is one of my favorite things. I cannot remember when I fell in love with tequila, but spending my college days working at a tequila bar definitely added fuel to the fire. Trying new tequilas can be like tasting new wine, find out what you like and do not believe every up selling bartender or lurker with a black Amex, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to be great. Go with your personal palate and please step out of the Patron box. My favorite silver tequila is Herradura, but I was on a bit of a budget so I used Hornitos silver.
I love how easy it is to infuse the spice and flavor of the jalapeño that keeps you coming back for more. As a bonus, jalapeños are super easy to grow at home, so consider adding them to your veggie garden next time you plant.
For the infused tequila:
  • 3 jalapenos, washed
  • 750ml bottle of silver or reposada tequila, 100% Agave only please
  1. Slice jalapenos into ¼ inch size pieces, including the seeds. Place them in a large quart size jar. Pour in a 750 ml bottle of tequila. Seal the lid and give the jar a good swirl. Keep the jar in a dark place for 2-3 days. I like to swirl the jar once a day to mix. I use mason jars for both infusing the tequila and for creating the cocktails.
  2. After your 2-3 days, pour the tequila through a fine mesh strainer to remove all the pieces of jalapeno and seeds. Funnel the infused tequila back into the jar or bottle for storage.
  3. Refrigerate

Jalapeno_Estonia_3

To make 2 cocktails
  • 2.5 oz jalapeño infused tequila (I tend to have a little heavy hand)
  • 3 oz FRESH Pineapple juice, I bought mine at Whole Foods
  • 1 oz fresh lime juice
  • 1 oz Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
  • Diced jalapeño for extra spice if needed, I’m obsessed with jalapeño and like the fresh pieces in my cocktail
  • Dash of soda water for bubbles
  • Jalapeño or pineapple wedge to garnish
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in jalapeño infused tequila, pineapple juice, lime juice, Grand Marnier. Shake to combine and chill. Strain into prepared glasses and if desired, garnish with a pineapple wedge,  jalapeño slice or lime.
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Categories Uncategorized

enriching spicy pork and kale soup

February 21, 2014 //
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One of the biggest challenges of cooking midweek is the prep work involved. I have recently happily moved into a tiny one bedroom with a miniature kitchen and almost no counter space, so I appreciate the simplicity of this recipe. I recommend buying the bagged kale at your local store if you would like to skip the step of washing and destemming. I was inspired by a recipe from the January 2014 issue of bon appétit. The broth was rich, the spice was right on and the noodles were both delicate and added the needed contrast to the hearty greens. You can substitute dandelion greens, chard or another variety of kale if you prefer.

1/2 lb ground pork
2 garlic gloves
2 tsp. finely grated ginger
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp vegetable oil
salt and pepper
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
4 cups kale
4 scallions, sliced
2 tbsp brags amino acid
1 tsp fish sauce
8oz rice noodles

Mix pork, garlic, ginger and cumin and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Heat oil in  a soup pot over medium heat. Add pork and brown, breaking up with your spoon. Once the pork is cooked through add the broth and water and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes until the flavors meld. Add the kale, scallions, soy sauce and fish sauce and cook until the greens are tender. Meanwhile, cook the rice noodles according to directions, drain and set aside. Once the soup is ready, place noodles in each bowl and ladle the soup over them. It was even better the next day after the broth had developed more! Photo Feb 19, 8 04 16 PM

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Categories Healthy Meals