hello hello!
happy friday to you! we’re already over half way through september… can you believe it?? this week has been lovely and full of some really great food! we went out to the best dinner to celebrate a dear friend’s birthday on wednesday. oysters, crispy potatoes, & a martini is pretty much my perfect meal. so that was lovely! and it’s always nice to celebrate a friend.
the start of a new season always brings me inspiration to create new meals and cook with newly in-season ingredients! while i’ve been lacking inspiration in the dinner department lately, this week has brought a renewed excitement to cooking & dreaming up new recipes. can’t wait to share more fun things as we ease into fall!
weeknight chicken curry
this is a fall staple for us. the flavors are so warm and yummy, and the pairing of a delicious, saucy curry over fresh basmati rice is unbeatable. so satiating and filling. we love to serve ours with naan of some kind. when i have plenty of time, i loooove to make it homemade — i have a great 2-ingredient recipe. but usually we buy it! i get plain naan for wil and season it with garlic, olive oil, and sea salt then broil it until it’s toasty. for me, i use a GF pita bread and give it the same treatment. it’s delicious! this curry is not spicy. if you’d like to add some heat, i suggest adding some red chili paste when you stir in the curry paste.
*this recipe is gluten and dairy free — sub cauliflower florets for the chicken and veggie broth to make it vegan*
ingredients:
1 package chicken thighs, cubed (approx. 1.5 lbs)
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin
1 yellow or white onion, diced (use 1/2 if a large onion)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced (i use these, total gamechanger!)
1 13-oz. can coconut milk
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 heaping tbsp red curry paste
2-2 1/2 cups chopped kale or spinach
salt and pepper
cilantro and lime, for serving
rice and naan, for serving
directions:
in a dutch oven or medium sized pot, saute the onion, garlic, and ginger in oil over medium-high heat until fragrant.
add in the cubed chicken thighs and seasonings. let cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 5-10 minutes.
turn heat to med-low and pour in the coconut milk and chicken broth. stir in the curry paste and the kale, and let cook for 15 minutes. (if using spinach, don’t add until the last 5 minutes of cook time.)
taste and season if needed.
serve over rice and with toasted naan, topped with cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
you should always have cooked rice in your fridge
if you know me, you know my love for rice. if you’re going to come for me with some kind of low-carb crap…. don’t. our bodies need carbs. period. carbs are what fuel our brain and keep our brains healthy! if you’ve ever tried a low carb lifestyle and felt like your brain was kind of foggy and blurry, there is a reason why.
ANYWAY *steps down off of health coach soapbox* — rice is such a great vehicle for virtually any meal. we love to do rice bowls with taco ingredients on top like chicken, lettuce, salsa, avocado, onion, beans, etc. you can make weeknight fried rice in practically 5 minutes if you have cooked rice in the fridge! plus, it’s great to pack for lunches and is great on its own as a side to your protein and veggies for a simple dinner!
here’s how to make the best rice ever:
first lets talk about the type of rice. we always do basmati or jasmine rice. a nice longer-grain white rice is my favorite. we don’t do brown rice, but if that’s your jam, go for it! (i don’t think these cooking instructions will work on brown rice though.)
your ratio for cooking is 1:2 rice to liquid.
so here’s the deal: add 1 c rice to a pot, then pour in 1 c water and 1 c chicken broth (can also do 2 c chicken broth instead for optimal flavor, but doing half and half saves us a little $$). turn the heat on high and throw in a good pinch of salt and at least 1 tbsp good butter. add some garlic if you’d like (we always do). stir. when the rice is fully boiling, put the lid on and let simmer for 15-20 minutes on LOW. after 15 minutes, check the rice and fluff it with a fork. if there is still visible liquid, leave the heat on. if all the liquid has been absorbed, put the lid back on for 5 minutes and turn off the heat. (this kinda steams the rice and make it extra fluffy and good.)
enjoy perfect, fluffy, flavorful rice!
freezer stand-bys
we all have those frozen items that we lean on and that are pretty much always in our freezer for a last minute meal. here are some of ours and how we like to use them:
gluten free chicken nuggets: love these on their own or on top of a salad
trader joe’s cauliflower gnocchi: insanely good with pesto & chicken sausage
GF egg rolls: a new discovery that are great with roasted broccoli
crushed ginger cubes
frozen fruit for smoothies
frozen peas
shrimp (great for a quick weeknight meal!)
this week’s music pick:
Hozier is almost always my go-to as fall comes around. his voice is so soulful and it just reminds me of cozy fall days. his first album is one of my favorites. it’s supposed to be rainy and gray in bham this weekend… this is a good album to put on while you make curry and snuggle on the couch.
also… we are all rewatching gilmore girls since it’s basically fall now…right?
have a lovely weekend!! if you liked this week’s newsletter, please share it with a friend! and if you make one of the recipes, reply to this email and let me know if you have any questions or if you enjoyed it!