Red Thai Chicken Curry with Cauliflower

I made this Weight Watchers recipe a week or so ago and liked it but wanted to figure out how to make it slightly better. Whenever I've had red or green curry in a Thai restaurant it was soupier than the original recipe. I definitely wanted to replicate that as well as add more vegetables. So, I did! Here's the original recipe, courtesy of Weight Watchers:

Ingredients
3/4 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken thigh(s), boneless, cut into chunks
1/4 tsp table salt
1 tsp canola oil
1 item(s) (medium) uncooked bell pepper(s), yellow, seeded and thinly sliced
6 medium uncooked scallion(s), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 1/2 tsp thai curry paste, red variety
2 tsp sugar
14 fl oz light coconut milk
12 oz uncooked cauliflower, florets only
6 oz shredded carrot(s)
1/2 cup(s) basil, fresh purple or green leaves

Instructions
Sprinkle the chicken with the salt. Heat 1⁄2 teaspoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Add the remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon oil to the same skillet, then add the bell pepper and scallions. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the scallions turn bright green, about 3 minutes. Add the curry paste and sugar; cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Stir in the coconut milk, cauliflower, and carrots; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes.

Return the chicken to the skillet and heat through, stirring occasionally, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the basil. Yields 1 1/2 cups per serving.

OK, on to the photos!

First, get the mise en place set up so when it's go time you don't have to worry about measuring. My additions to the recipe are green beans, bamboo shoots, chicken broth, fish sauce, and I used broccoli slaw this time instead of shredded carrots simply because that's what I had on hand. Also, I used a different color pepper but it was still a sweet one. Finally, I omitted the table salt.




After setting all of that up, I figured I earned a drink. What? It was Saturday night!




Go time. Sauté the chicken thighs.




After they're sautéed, let them hang out for a bit.




Sauté the peppers, green beans, and onions.








After a few minutes add red curry paste according to your taste. I used two of these dollops but probably could have used one more.




Gimme some sugar!




Stir constantly for about a minute and then add the liquids: light coconut milk, 3/4 c. chicken broth, and a tablespoon of fish sauce.








Let it come to a boil then add the cauliflower, broccoli slaw, and can of bamboo shoots.








The smell at this point is utterly amazing.




Put a bird lid on it and let it simmer for about 5 or so minutes, until the vegetables are softened.




Finally, add the chicken and stir in the basil.






Now ... eat! 1 1/2 cups is a great portion. I added 3/4 cup of brown rice and it was so filling and delicious. This scratches the Thai food itch that I get quite frequently and I love that I can eat Thai food without guilt!

2005 Yering Station MVR

I'm a bit late on this entry as well. Came home from work and napped for a few hours. My immune system seems hellbent on catching a cold! Boo!

It's not going to stop me from posting about this fantastic wine, though!!

Front of the bottle:


Back of the bottle:


2005 Yering Station MVR!

To say that I was looking forward to this wine is a vast understatement. The second I put it in my cart at Grocery Outlet (a bargain at $5.99! Elsewhere it's $18.99) I knew I'd want to drink and drink and drink it. This wine is comprised of 54% Marsanne, 36% Viognier, and 10% Roussanne. There's a hint of pear on the nose. Drinking the wine, it's crisp and clean. This is definitely not a sweet white wine. While I was drinking the wine I kept imagining a backyard barbecue with chicken and pasta salads and sun. It's definitely a summer wine so if you have the chance to buy it during GO's wine sale from March 30th through April 3rd you should do it! Summer is not so far away.

But, back to the wine. I definitely get a lot of green apple with this wine. Mr Mary Cooks had only one glass (he's not a fan of whites) but I easily drank the rest of the bottle. I am an equal opportunity wine drinker. If you're only a marginal fan of white wines you may not like this. The Mr said it smelled like Play-Doh. While I could see how he could smell that I didn't think it was a bad thing.

By the way, we drank this with a whole chicken cooked in the slow cooker.



I was intending on blogging the recipe but, quite frankly, the chicken turned out dry (!!) and not all that great. I was disappointed but it reinforces my desire to have a programmable slow cooker vs. my old-school "off-low-high" model.

I have more wines to blog about even though the "official" period has ended. I have three bottles left and I'm intending on sharing them all with you!

White Chili

I think I have perfected my white chili recipe. You can use cooked turkey or chicken in this recipe. I opted for turkey as I made one yesterday and we had leftover meat. The taste is so delicious and, apparently, gravity really likes this as well as the floor claimed two bowls and the counter tried to get its share as well! Oops! At least it makes a fair amount so it still fed the family.

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
2 15.5 ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups cooked chicken or turkey, cubed
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 4 ounce can diced green chiles, undrained
1 14.5 ounce can fat-free chicken broth
3/4 can of water
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded lowfat Monterey Jack cheese



In a dutch oven or stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once it is hot, add the onions and the garlic.





Stir the onions and garlic frequently, until softened. This will take about 5 minutes. Next, add the can of green chiles.



Stir in the spices.



Stir the mixture until everything is coated and softened, about 2 minutes.



Add the chopped turkey (or chicken).



Next, add the chicken broth.



Bring the tomatoes to the party!



To extend the recipe a bit I add about 3/4 of a can of water.



Add the rinsed and drained beans.



Finally, add the mashed beans.



Stir everything together and bring to a boil.



Let the chili simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. After the time is up, add 4 ounces of reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese. Add it a few handfuls at a time, stirring while you add it so it doesn't clump all together.



Serve. You can garnish with sour cream and green onions like I did here. You can also put crumbled chips, cilantro, more Jack cheese, jalapeños, or, well, just about anything you'd like on top of this chili.



This was so delicious and easy, especially for a weeknight meal. The kids all loved it, even the preschooler!

Chicken and Red Quinoa Stew

A couple of friends and I went to a discount natural food store recently. While there, I spotted some red quinoa. Quinoa is very good for you because it is a source of complete protein and has a balanced set of essential amino acids (according to the Wikipedia link).

I searched the internet for recipes because I wanted to do something different from the Quinoa and Black Beans recipe I normally make. I found a recipe for Crockpot Chicken and Red Quinoa at The Nourishing Gourmet. However, I did not want to cook this in the crockpot. So, I used their recipe and adapted it for the stove top.

Ingredients:

1 cup red quinoa, rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups water
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon of salt
6 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 onion, minced
3 chicken breasts or thighs
2 Tablespoons butter



Take a second to admire the depth and beauty of this wholesome grain. It really is quite lovely!



Open the bottle of wine. I chose Willow Crest's Viognier for this. If you're anything like me you will also pour yourself a glass while you start cooking.



You will want to rinse the quinoa a few times. I did it probably four times. Doing this eliminates the bitterness that the grain can have.



Put a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the butter and wait for it to melt.



Once the butter is melted and hot, add the onions.



Next, add the carrots.



Finally, add the celery.



Stir everything together so the vegetables are coated with butter.



Keep stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes.



Now it's time to add the chicken. I used about 3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. I cut the meat into about 1/2-inch pieces.



Add the quinoa to the pot.



Add the water and the wine (I measured them together in the same measuring cup).



Next, add the stock. If yours is frozen like mine, just put it in frozen. It'll melt and be just fine. Trust me!



The original recipe called for two teaspoons of thyme but I thought that might be a bit too much on the herbal side. I used one teaspoon.



And I used one teaspoon of sea salt as well.



Stir all together. When it comes to a boil, turn the heat to medium low. I let this simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the quinoa was tender.



Serve immediately.



I cannot express how delicious this was! A few household members had second helpings. Even the preschooler ate hers until it was gone. Also, it was very good the next day as lunch.

This recipe is definitely going into the regular rotation.