Week 4 – Quinoa (Kari)

This recipe was very good, and is something I will be making again. The cashews were the best part of the dish.

Quinoa Indian Chicken Curry

Author: I Can Cook That

Recipe type: Dinner, Weeknight Meal, Poultry

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  45 mins

 Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups chicken broth, divided
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 6 teaspoons curry powder, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 medium head cauliflower, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp celery seed
• ½ tsp fennel seed
• ½ tsp tumeric
• ⅓ cup plain low-fat yogurt
• ⅓ cup nonfat sour cream
• ½ cup cashews
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Add the quinoa and 2 cups chicken broth to a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until almost all the liquid has been absorbed.
3. Cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces. Add the chicken to a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 teaspoons curry powder. Mix to coat.
4. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for about 7 minutes or until just done, stirring to cook evenly. Set aside.
5. Using the same saute pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the yellow onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
6. Add the peas, cauliflower, cumin, celery seed, fennel seed, tumeric, and the remaining 4 teaspoons curry powder.
7. Add the remaining 2 cups chicken broth and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (The original recipe didn’t specify when to add the chicken pieces back in. I decided to add them along with the chicken broth to allow them to simmer in the mixture.)
8. Remove from heat and stir in the low-fat yogurt and nonfat sour cream.
9. Stir in the quinoa, cashews, cilantro, salt, and pepper.

Week 1 – Rhubarb (Kari)

Kari here. This past weekend my in-laws were visiting.  The smell of rhubarb filled the house.  Everyone loved it– we even caught George (my father-in-law) helping himself to a piece at lunch time while we were away.  Delicious. The parchment paper was a must.  Also delicious for breakfast the next day 🙂

RUSTIC FRUIT TART

Makes 2 (12-inch) tart crusts.
Note: This recipe must be prepared in advance. When making two tarts, double the filling ingredients.

For the crust:
• 21/2 c. all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling dough
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 12 tbsp. cold unsalted butter (11/2 sticks, cut in 1/2 -in.pieces)
• 1/2 c. cold vegetable shortening
• 1/2  c. ice water

For each tart filling:
• 1/2 c. sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 c. fruit of choice, sliced thin or left whole, depending on the fruit
• Melted butter and sparkling sugar

Directions:
To prepare crust:

Whisk together flour, 2 tbsp. sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. With pastry blender, cut in butter and shortening until well distributed. The mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal.
Sprinkle water over flour mixture, blending and sprinkling until all the liquid is used. The dough may seem rather sticky, but that’s OK.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, pat it into a loaf shape and cut in 2 equal pieces and flatten into fat disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. (You can also double wrap 1 disk and store in the freezer for use within 2 months.)
About 30 minutes before you want to bake, remove dough from the refrigerator and place it on the counter to take off the chill. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and fold over the edges about a half-inch to create a rim, to capture the fruit juices if they should begin to ooze.
On a well-floured pastry cloth or silicone sheet, roll out the dough, working from the middle to the edges, until you have a rough circle about 12 to 14 inches around. Don’t roll the dough too thin or the fruit may break through the sides of the tart.
Drape half the dough over the rolling pin and use the pin to lift the dough gently onto the parchment paper.

To prepare filling: 

Mix together the 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch and pinch of salt. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the mixture over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Toss the remaining mixture with the fruit (1 cup Rhubarb + 1 cup strawberry). Arrange fruit in center of dough circle.
Gently lift the border of dough up and toward the fruit, folding or pleating as you complete the circle. If desired, you can brush the dough border with some melted butter and sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. If fruit juices have oozed onto the parchment, gently work the tart loose, slipping a knife under the crust. Then slide the tart onto a wire rack to cool slightly (or completely) before serving.