Sivan's Chicken & Carrot Curry Rice Dinner with Cabbage Slaw

I found this on sivanskitchen.com. Unfortunately, when I made the rice as directed, it took a good 80 minutes to cook all the way through. I'm writing this recipe here to remind me to use the rice cooker next time. Quite honestly, this recipe is mind-blowingly, out of this world delicious! Try it! The cabbage slaw is divine. All the flavors blend so well. This recipe serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

Chicken Thighs

• About 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 3 tbsp oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp black pepper

Carrot Curry Rice

• 2 cups basmati rice, washed and drained
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 4 cups chicken stock (or water)

Cabbage Slaw

• 1/2 purple cabbage, thinly sliced
• 405 green onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, finely choped
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix chicken with oil and spices until evenly coated. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
3. Add rice to rice cooker. Grate carrot over top, add spices and chicken stock, and mix well. Start rice cooker.
4. Place wire rack over aluminum pan and arrange chicken on top. Cover with parchment, then tightly with foil (the parchment prevents direct contact between the foil and food). Seal well to trap the steam.
5. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Bake another 15 minutes until chicken is golden and cooked through. Broil 3–5 minutes for extra color. 
6. For the slaw, combine all ingredients and toss well.
7. Serve chicken whole or sliced over the curry carrot rice with the crunchy slaw. Leftovers are even better the next day! 

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.