Curried Coconut Chicken with Brown Rice

My husband and I really enjoy trying different international foods.

Indian food is one of our favorites, so I was super excited when I stumbled upon this recipe!

It will definitely make more appearances at our house.

Next time I'll try using fresh tomatoes instead of canned,

and possibly add some crushed red pepper flakes for a touch of heat.

Try it! Just be prepared for your house to smell like curry for a day or two. :)

Curried Coconut Chicken

adapted from allrecipes.com

makes 6 servings

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 tsp salt & pepper (to taste)

1 1/2 Tbsp canola oil

2 Tbsp curry powder

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 (14-oz) can light coconut milk

1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce

3 Tbsp sugar

Prepared brown rice, for serving

Season chicken pieces with salt & pepper.

Heat oil & curry in large skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes while stirring. Add in onions & garlic and cook until onions are translucent (8-10 minutes). Add chicken and stir to coat with spices. Cook for another 7-10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.

Pour in coconut milk, drained tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar to skillet and stir to combine.

Simmer, uncovered, for about 30-40 minutes; until sauce is thickened.

Serve warm over brown rice.

*Tofu would be a great substitute for the chicken to make this vegetarian

Coconut Curry Chicken

The Perfect Scoop begins...

Mr. Hubby just gave this to me for my birthday...

Cannot wait to use it!

(Our ice cream maker is across the country...along with my kitchenaid...yet I am still surviving in my temporary closet kitchen.) :)

(Our "freezer"-drawer-thingy just kind of freezes stuff...so I can't use that either. Ha. Ha.)

Tomato Basil Pasta

Can you just smell that fresh basil??

MmmmMmm!

Every summer when I get a huge bunch of fresh basil from the farmer's market (for $1.00!), I have to make this family-favorite recipe. It was originally called "pink pasta," but I, uh, changed the name. And the recipe.

This is one of those select recipes where I allow myself to use half-and-half (the original actually calls for cream, if you want to use that).

Tomato-Basil Pasta

5 servings

2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes

1/2 cup loosely-packed fresh basil leaves

3 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese (or pecorino romano or combination)

10 oz. whole-wheat pasta (pictured is whole-grain pasta)

Drain one can of diced tomatoes, set aside. Combine the other can (with liquid) with fresh basil leaves and puree (in a blender, food processor, or immersion blender).

Place your nose about an inch away from puree. And. Inhale.

Meanwhile, melt butter in sauce pan over low heat. Add basil/tomato puree & drained tomatoes; cook over medium-high heat until thickens (10 minutes or so). Add half-and-half and cheese. Continue cooking until sauce is fairly thick.

Cook pasta until al dente; drain and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking. Serve by topping pasta with sauce, fresh basil, and more cheese if desired.

Baked Coconut Shrimp with Apricot Sauce

Hubby and I have now been married for three years! We're officially celebrating this coming weekend, but I still wanted the actual day to be special, so I tried to recreate a meal we had in Kauai, Hawaii just over a year ago.

I knew I wanted to make coconut shrimp but didn't want to fry it, so I found several different recipes for baked coconut shrimp and got some ideas before coming up with my own.

I've never cooked with shrimp before...
to be honest, when I opened the bag and touched the first one, I kinda got the heebie-jeebies.

Oh yeah, these things have tails...umm...eww...

But after dipping, coating, baking, and eating 'em...

heebie-jeebies definitely cured. :)

(I even made a virgin Pina Colada to go with; inspiration from Codee's blog!)

Oh, how I love the tropics.
 Even if they do serve stuff with...umm...tails.

Baked Coconut Shrimp

serves 4

1 lb large, raw deveined shrimp (tails intact; about 24-30)

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

3 egg whites, beaten

1 cup flaked, sweetened coconut

1 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs-easy to find)

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Rinse & pat dry shrimp. In a small bowl, mix flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. In another small bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Pour Panko and coconut into a resealable bag and shake to mix.

Working with one shrimp at a time, dredge in flour mixture, dip in egg whites, and roll in coconut mixture (I used my free hand on the outside of the bag to mold around the shrimp to ensure the whole thing was coated with the coconut mixture). Place on baking sheet.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, flipping shrimp halfway through, until the meat is bright pink on the outside and coconut is browned.

Apricot Sauce

1/2 cup apricot preserves

3 tsp horseradish mustard*

Mix together and serve with baked shrimp for dipping.

*or use 2 tsp ground mustard and 1 tsp horseradish

My hubby gives this two thumbs up!

Recipe for Love

(Warning: This is cheesy. I don't mean cheddar-cheesy...

I'm talkin' lovey-dovey cheesy.)

I married the boy next door three years ago today.

:)

(This was in his backyard before the reception.)

Recipe for Love

1 tall, brown-haired, blue-eyed, intelligent, basketball player

1 blonde, brown-eyed adorer of the boy next door

3 moves

3 states

3 years of school

and

1 sweet baby boy

Blend all ingredients together.

Yields three years of happiness and love. :)

Okay, I'm done...

Crispy Yam (or sweet potato) & Black Bean Burritos

*Update:  My favorite way to serve these is with plain yogurt & mango salsa...you have to try it!

Beautiful sweet, roasted yams and savory black beans in a crispy, baked tortilla.

Topped with cheese and sour cream, of course.

(Please excuse my picture. I'll get a better one next time I make it...)

Make these and eat 'em outside while you bask in the sun.

I love summer...

This makes 4 large adult-size serving burritos. If you want smaller, kid-sized burritos, just ration out the filling between 6 tortillas (you may want to add more cheese, though!).

Crispy Yam & Black Bean Burritos

By Kristin
4 servings

2 medium-sized yams, peeled & chopped into large chunks (sweet potatoes will be yummy too)

Olive oil, salt & pepper

1 small, white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans black beans, rinsed & drained

1 tsp cumin

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

garlic powder, to taste

1/4 cup loosely packed, chopped cilantro

1-2 tsp lime juice (optional)

1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

4 flour tortillas (we splurged this time and used white flour tortillas)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place chopped yams on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Toss with hands to thoroughly coat yams. Place in oven and roast, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until soft & lightly browned.

Meanwhile, saute onion & garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add beans and spices to taste. Stir in cilantro and lime juice, if desired.

Lay out tortillas and layer with cheese, black beans, and yams. Roll tortillas up burrito-style with all ends enclosed and place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Brush tops with olive oil, broil in oven for 5-10 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy.

Serve with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.