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Pineapple Curry Chicken

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Pineapple Curry Chicken

A month or so ago I met up with a friend of mine for lunch at one of my favorite Thai restaurants. One quick glace at the menu and we both knew what we were having, Pineapple Curry Duck, and it was amazing. As we all but licked our plates clean I thought, I bet I can make this, or at least a version of it. Today she came to lunch and I gave it a try. Because Duck is expensive and difficult to cook well, I decided to try it with chicken. That is how Pineapple Curry Chicken was born.  It wasn’t exactly the same as what we had at the restaurant, I used brown rice which takes an hour to cook, so I recommend using a quick cooking minute rice for a busy week night. Add a little bakers coconut to the rice while it cooks to give it a little extra punch.  I must say it turned out pretty good. I will defiantly be making this one again.

 

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Pineapple Curry Chicken

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 4 Servings

Ingredients

8 chicken tenders

1 red bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper

8 broccoli florets

1/2 red onion

1 8oz can pineapple chunks

1 13 oz can coconut milk

1T brown sugar

1t curry powder

2t ground chili paste

1t salt

1T corn starch

Instructions

Season your chicken tenders with Lemon Pepper and saute in a bit of oil until just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. While the chicken is cooking cut  your peppers and onion in 1/4" strips. You may need to add a bit more oil to the pan, then add the peppers, onion and broccoli. Saute for about 5 minutes. You don't want to over cook your veggies, you want them to still have a bit of crunch to them and they will cook some more while  you finish this up. After 5 minutes add the can of pineapple (juice and all) to the skillet. In a measuring cup add 1T corn starch to the coconut milk and stir well then add to the pan along with the brown sugar, salt and chili paste. Return the chicken to the pan and heat through while the sauce thickens up. Serve over rice.

Notes

I cooked my rice in chicken broth and and added 1/4 cup of bakers coconut to it while it was cooking. This gave it great flavor and a nice added crunch. I used brown rice and it takes about an hour to cook, but for a busy week night you could always use Minute Rice.

 

Spring is just around the corner

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I could barely believe my eyes when I looked out the back window and saw my first Daffodil blooming. Even as the snow began to fall that evening I knew that spring was in the air. Along with my Daffodils the other thing that is always the first thing to come up in the spring are my chives.

Time for Scrambled Eggs and Baked Potatoes with fresh chives. It is amazing the flavor they add to the simplest of dishes.

I love fresh herbs, they add such a freshness to everything you use them in, they’re easy to grow and cheap to buy. Most of them are perennials and they will come back every year, while some of them are annuals that you have to plant each year. Where I live I don’t dare plant them before Mothers Day, so it will be a while yet before I have fresh Basil and Parsley, but today I rejoice because at least I now have Chives.

Sunday Pork Roast

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Sunday dinner at Grandmas is always a special time. Time to spoil the Grandson and make something that takes a bit of extra time and planning. This one is a family favorite and while it takes a bit of effort to put it together it is defiantly worth it. Follow the link below to a YouTube video from the National Pork Board that will show you how easy it is to butterfly a pork loin roast. Skip ahead to the 1:13 mark to see how I did this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz391Urnk30

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Sunday Pork Roast

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 6

Ingredients

2 1/2 lb Pork Loin Roast

3 slices prosciutto

3 slices provolone cheese

6 slices bacon

1/4 cup pesto

1t salt

1/2t pepper

4 potatoes

3 carrots

1 red onion

Instructions

Butterfly the roast so that it opens up and lays flat. Follow this link from the National Pork Board to see how easy it is to do this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz391Urnk30 . Season with salt and pepper and spread the pesto out in an even layer, lay the provolone on top of the pesto followed by the prosciutto and roll it up. Lay the strips of bacon out and place the rolled up roast on top of the bacon and wrap the bacon around the roast. I needed to secure it with tooth picks to hold it in place while I tied it up. Once it was tied up I removed the tooth picks. Okay, so that was the hard part from here on out it's smooth sailing.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. While this is roasting cut up your potatoes in 1-1/2 inch chunks, slice your carrots into 1 1/2 inch pieces and slice your onion into large wedges. Mince 1 clove of garlic, and put it in a small glass container with 1T of olive oil, 1t rosemary, 1t thyme 1t salt and heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Pour this mixture over your vegetables and toss to coat. When the roast has been in the oven for 45 minutes take it out and add the vegetables to the pan, put it back in the oven to continue cooking for the the last 45 minutes.

When the roast has reached 155 degrees take it out of the oven, remove it from the pan and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving. Put the veggies in an oven proof bowl, cover with foil and return to the oven to keep them warm while the roast rests.

Baked Pork Chops with Stuffing

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Who doesn’t like stuffed Pork Chops? They’re just the best on a cold winter evening, but really, who has the time. Here’s an easy way to put a great dinner on the table in a little over an hour.

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Baked Pork Chops & Stuffng

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 4

Ingredients

4 pork chops

1 package stove top stuffing mix (I use cornbread)

1/2 onion chopped

1 stalk celery chopped

2T butter

1 1/3 cup chicken broth

1/2t rosemary

1/2t dried sage

Instructions

In a medium sauce pan melt the butter and saute the onion and celery until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the rosemary, sage and chicken broth. (1 1/3 cups is not quite 1 can of broth. Don't follow the package directions here, the pork chops will let off some moisture and if you use the full 1 2/3 cups your stuffing will be mushy and yucky.) Add the contents of the stuffing package and stir just enough to moisten the bread crumbs. Spay your casserole dish with cooking spray (or you will never get it clean) and put the stuffing in the bottom of the dish and lay the pork chops on top. Season the chops well with Lemon Pepper and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

Notes

You can get really creative with this recipe if you want to.  Add chopped Apple and Pecans, or Artichoke Hearts and Parmesan cheese to give it a special twist.

Note: I have tried this with chicken breasts and it doesn't work well. There is just way too much water in the chicken you buy at the store and when you bake it the stuffing gets mushy and doesn't brown up nicely.

 

Mushroom & Leek Frittata

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Last night my friend Kathy and I  enjoyed the rare occasion to get together, just us girls, and a nice bottle of Pinot Greigo. No husbands, just us, time catch up on the family, work, travel etc.  I didn’t want to spend hours and make a huge mess, I wanted something fast and easy but GOOD. I decided to go with one of my favorites. Mushroom and Leek Frittata. It’s easy, one pan and delicious. Throw together a nice green salad and you have the perfect meal for girls night.

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Mushroom and Leek Frittata

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 2 servings

Ingredients

6 eggs

2 medium leeks

8 fresh mushrooms

1t dry basil

1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend

1/2t salt

1/4t black pepper

1T oil (olive oil, butter, bacon grease, any of these will work.)

Instructions

Clean and slice your leeks. You only want to use the white and light green part of the leek. Leeks are full of sand and dirt and you have to wash them well. The easiest way to do this is to cut off the dark green part and the root on the bottom, then slice the leek lengthwise and run under water opening it up to get into all the layers. Then slice horizontally in about 1/4" slices.  Slice your mushrooms. Use an oven proof skillet, add the oil and let it get hot, then add the leeks and mushrooms along with the salt and pepper. Saute over medium/high heat until the mushrooms have browned and the leeks are soft. While this is cooking, beat your eggs in a large bowl and add the basil and cheese, and set aside. When your leeks and mushrooms are soft turn the heat on the skillet down to medium/low. Temperature is import on this one. You don't want the bottom to burn. Low and slow is key here. Add the egg mixture and stir to incorporate the mushrooms and leeks and then leave it alone. Turn on the broiler and get it hot while the eggs are cooking. When the eggs have set around the edges but the still have a bit of wiggle to them (about 8-10 minutes) put the skillet under the broiler on the 2nd to the highest self setting, and let it finish cooking the top. This will take a couple of minutes. When golden brown and puffy poke it to make sure it is firm in the middle if it is, take it out of the oven, if not let it go another minute or so. Slice into wedges to serve.