Butter Chicken

I found this on alexandracooks.com. Unfortunately, every time I followed her Instapot version, I'd get a burn warning. Her directions for the stovetop version are just as fast and I've embraced that method! Her site says it makes 10 servings (but I always have to double it for my family of 7 because 1 serving to us is usually like a bird's portion).  My family LOVES this recipe!

INGREDIENTS

14 to 15 oz. crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 tablespoon of minced ginger
2 teaspoons kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal brand)
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (3.25 pounds)
1 stick (8 tablespoons | 4 ounces) unsalted butter
¼ cup heavy cream
4 to 8 ounces baby spinach, optional, or chopped fresh cilantro
steamed basmati rice or naan, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the tomatoes, curry powder, garlic, ginger, and salt in a large, wide pot or braiser. Stir to combine. Add the chicken and stir to coat.
2. Cover the pot and bring to a simmer over high heat. Once the mixture is simmering — open the lid to see — lower the heat to medium-low and cook covered for 40 minutes. 
3. Uncover the pot and remove the chicken. Add the butter and heavy cream to the pot. Chop the chicken into bite-size pieces. Once the butter has melted, return the chicken to the pot and stir to combine. Taste. Add salt to taste if necessary. 
4. If you are adding the spinach, add it to the pot. You can cover the pot for a few minutes to speed up the wilting process — it will take a few minutes for the leaves to wilt down. You can add the spinach in batches, too, if that’s easier for you. 

Heather's High Protein Taco Cottage Cheese Bowl

INGREDIENTS

Sweet Potatoes

   2 large sweet potatoes, washed and quartered
   Olive oil
   ½ tsp salt
   ½ tsp paprika
   ½ tsp garlic powder

    ½ tsp baking soda (for parboiling) 

Ground Beef OR Ground Turkey

   1 lb grassfed ground beef
   ¾ tsp salt
   1 tsp paprika
   1 tsp chili powder
   1 tsp garlic powder
   1 tsp onion powder

Kale

   Kale, chopped
   Olive oil
   Fresh Lemon Juice
   Salt & pepper to taste

1 large avocado, sliced

16 oz 2% cottage cheese

Crushed red pepper

Mike's Hot Honey

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack placed in the center of the oven.
2. While the oven preheats, place the quartered sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water.
3. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.
4. Boil the sweet potatoes just until the edges give a bit to pressure from a fork, about 8 minutes. You don’t want to overcook them, or they could turn mushy.
5. Drain the sweet potatoes and pat dry with a paper towel then cut them into bite-sized pieces.
6. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
7. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, paprika and garlic poweder.
8. Sprinkle the spice blend onto the sweet potatoes and toss to evenly coat.
9. Scatter the sweet potatoes so they don't touch on a sheet pan and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until browned and fork-tender.
10. While the potatoes are roasting, sauté the ground beef and seasonings for 5-7 mins until cooked through. 
11. In large bowl, add the kale, juice from one lemon, a drizzle of oil and a little kosher salt and pepper. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes.
12. Add 1 cup diced sweet potatoes, 4 oz ground beef, ⅓ avocado, kale and ½ cup cottage cheese to your bowl. 

13. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and drizzle with hot honey. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Heather's Dill Pickle Chicken Salad

INGREDIENTS

2 cups rotisserie chicken breast* or other cooked chicken (300g)
2 hard-boiled eggs chopped (75g)
1 ½ cup celery chopped fine (150g), fennel works too
1 ½ cup dill pickles chopped (200g)
½ cup green onion chopped (60g)
¼ cup sweet relish (60g)
2-3 Tbsp dill chopped (8g)
2 Tbsp low-fat mayo (30g) (can omit if desired)
3 Tbsp non-fat Greek yogurt (45g)
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar (15g)
1 Tbsp mustard (15g)
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients from chicken to dill.
2. Make a quick dressing by whisking Mayo, Greek yogurt, vinegar, and mustard. Mix dressing in salad and add salt and pepper to taste. 
3. Eat on rice cakes, corn thins, crackers, a bed of spinach … wrapped in lettuce or build a sandwich! 

Slow Cooker Black Beans

 I found this recipe over a decade ago on cafejohnsonia.com by Lindsey Johnson. Unfortunately, her website is now gone :-(. It's a definite family favorite.

Serves: 4-5 cups 

Cook time: 4 hours

Total time: 4 hours 20 mins

INGREDIENTS

1 Ib. black beans, picked over to remove broken or wrinkled beans or small stones
6 cups water
1 onion, halved or diced
2-3 whole garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon salt (this seems like a lot, but is fine with this much water, you can use less)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the beans in a big bowl, cover with water, agitate the beans a few times to remove any dirt, drain in a colander and rinse again.
2. Place black beans, onion, garlic cloves, and bay leaf in a slow cooker. Add water.
3. Cook on high for about 3-4 hours, testing after 3 hours. To test doneness, spoon out a few beans and blow on them. If the skins peel back, they beans are ready. Taste just to make sure. If all of the water has been absorbed, add more. Beans must stay completely covered to prevent them from burning. If cooking on low for 6-8 hours, test the beans at the 6 hour point.
4. Add the salt and let cook, or sit with heat off for another 20-30 minutes, to absorb the salt. Remove the bay leaf, garlic cloves, and onion before using, if desired.
5. Use immediately, or allow to cool before transferring beans and some of the cooking liquid to a zipper-lock freezer bag or airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months. If freezing, flatten bag in freezer--it makes for easier defrosting. Defrost in warm water.

VARIATIONS:

1. White beans – (Great Northern, Cannelini, navy, black eyed peas) add to the slow cooker: chopped vegetables (carrots, fennel, celery), rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic, onion. Use in salads, soups, purees, braised (side dish)
2. Pinto – add to the slow cooker: a few sprigs fresh cilantro, dried oregano, a diced chile (serrano, jalapeno, etc), ground cumin, onion, garlic, bay leaf. Use in chili and soups, salads, refried, etc.
3. Kidney – cook the same way for pinto or black beans. Use in Italian soups--proceed as for the white beans.

20-Minute One-Pan Beef and Chickpeas (Keema Chole)

I'm all about recipes that are delicious and fast, especially if I already have most of the ingredients in my pantry. This one fits the bill. My family said it's a definite do-over! Original recipe found here: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/one-pan-beef-and-chickpeas-recipe-8714041

Serves 4-5 (I double it for my family of 7)

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef
2 (14-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained
2 teaspoons grated garlic (about 2 garlic cloves)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (about 1 thumb-sized knob of ginger)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups water (or more to your liking)
Handfuls of baby spinach to your liking (I used roughly 8 oz.)
Juice of 1 lime
Chopped cilantro

TOPPINGS:
Pickled onion
Plain greek yogurt
Crushed red pepper flakes

Serve with rice and flatbread (for a fast option, butter some pita bread and warm in the oven).

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook the beef and chickpeas:
   Add the oil to a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Use your hands to gently form the beef into 4 even-ish patties, pressing just enough to keep the meat together. Add to the skillet and let cook undisturbed until deeply browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
   
   Flip the beef patties, then add the canned, drained chickpeas to the pan and let cook until the chickpeas are turning brown and starting to burst, about 7 minutes. Use a spatula or spoon to break up the beef patties into small pieces and mix in with the chickpeas; it’s okay if you accidentally break up some of the chickpeas in the process.
   
   
2. Add seasonings:
   Add the grated garlic, ginger, onion powder, cumin, garam masala, salt, and pepper and let cook for about a minute, stirring the spices into the ground beef and chickpeas.
   
   Add the tomato paste and mix in, using your spatula to scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pan.
   
   
3. Finish and serve:
   Keep the heat at medium-high and add the water. Mix everything well, taste, and season with more salt and pepper as desired, then remove from the heat. Serve immediately.
   
   Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, add to a warm frying pan or pot with a little bit of water to loosen and bring to a simmer before serving. You can also reheat this in a microwave. Add to a microwave-safe dish with a little water, cover, and heat on high in 45-second increments, stirring in between, until hot all the way through.