Thai Coconut Red Curry

Adapted from Allrecipes

This was fantastic and super easy to make!  Plus, it tasted so fresh with the veggies and pineapple.  My husband wanted it spicier, so he added red pepper flakes.  The original recipe did not call for it, but I can see how it would definitely add to the recipe for people with a spicier palette.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 Tbs red curry paste
• 1 can lite coconut milk
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
• 1 Tbs and 1 ½ tsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbs brown sugar
• 2 Tbs pineapple juice
• ½ cup pineapple chunks, drained
• ½ red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• ¼ cup white bean sprouts
• 2 Tbs cilantro and/or fresh basil
• Salt, to taste
• Cashew pieces (optional)
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

• Bring rice and water to a boil in a pot.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 25 minutes.
• In a heavy pan or wok, mix in chicken and red curry paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Mix in remaining coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar.  Bring to a boil and cook 15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear.
• Mix the red bell pepper and onion into the pan/wok.  Continue cooking 10 minutes until peppers are tender.  Remove from heat and stir in pineapple and salt, to taste.  Serve over cooked rice.  Top with bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, cashew and red pepper flakes. 

Tim's Omelette

My husband makes omelettes a couple of mornings each week (well, when he's not super busy with work).  It's pretty much the only thing that he makes, so I thought it needed to be featured on our food blog!  They are really healthy since they are mostly egg whites and veggies.  A great way to start your day!

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• Splash of skim milk
• ¼ - 1/3 cup cheese (Sharp Cheddar, Mozzarella, Muenster or Feta)
• Diced vegetables (red bell pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, avocado, onions, etc…)
• Deli ham (approximately 1-2 slices)

Serve with:

• Fresh salsa or Tobasco sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Preheat medium sized pan at medium heat for 3-5 minutes, so that pan is warmed and ready to cook.  In a small bowl, beat one full egg and 2 egg whites with a splash of milk.  Grease pan with cooking spray.  Pour egg mixture evenly in pan so that it covers entire bottom in a thin layer. 
• When eggs begin to cook through, start sprinkling cheese on one half of the omelet.  (Eggs should still jiggle somewhat in center, though.)  Add deli ham and vegetables on top of the cheese layer. 
• Continue cooking omelet until egg has completely cooked through.  Then gently fold the omelet in half.  Wait one more minute, ensuring egg is cooked.  Serve with fresh salsa or Tobasco sauce and salt and pepper. 

Chile Verde Pork Enchiladas

Adapted from Allrecipes

This picture doesn't quite do the enchiladas justice; I should have taken a bit more time taking the pic.  However, the taste was fantastic.  The pork tenderloin was SO unbelievably tender.  I highly recommend sticking with the Montery Jack cheese or in a crunch maybe Mozzarella since the mild flavor doesn't overrule the flavor of the pork.  Serve with your favorite Mexican accompaniments (mine are guacamole and black beans). 

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 (16 oz each) jars tomatillo salsa, divided
• 2.5 lbs pork tenderloin
• 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
• 6-8 whole wheat tortillas

Serve with:

• Black beans
• Fresh guacamole

Directions:

• Layer the chopped onion and cilantro into the bottom of a greased slow cooker.  Season the pork with salt and pepper; place atop the chopped onion.  Pour the salsa over the pork.
• Cook on low until the meat falls apart easily, about 8 hours.  Gently remove the pork to a cutting board after cooking 7 hours.  Shred pork and return to crockpot to finish cooking.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  To make enchiladas, take a 9x13” pan and pour a thin layer of salsa on bottom of pan.  Layer about ¼ cup Monterey Jack cheese into center of a whole wheat tortilla.  Top with shredded pork and pork juices (onions& cilantro).  Roll up each side of enchilada and place seam side down in 9x13 pan.  Repeat until all pork has been used.  Pour remaining salsa over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake for 15-20 minutes. 
• Serve with beans and guacamole or your choice of toppings (rice, shredded lettuce, etc…). 

Note:  Can use chile verde pork for other Mexican dishes as well, such as burritos or tacos. 

S'mores Brownies

Adapted from Food Network

I love brownies.  LOVE them.  Tim requested this dish as an alternate to my regular brownie batch.  We hadn't enjoyed this dessert for awhile, so I was only too happy to comply.  So delicious!

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 10 Tbs butter, melted
• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 4 Tbs sugar

For the brownie mix:

• Brownie mix, plus ingredients listed on back of box to make brownies
• About 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 bag of marshmallows

Directions:

• For the crust:  Mix all ingredients together and bake at 325 degrees F. for 20 minutes, until lightly browned.
• For the brownies:  Use your favorite brownie mix and make according to package directions.  Layer on top of your graham cracker crust after baking.  Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the brownies have set and no longer jiggles in the center.  Remove brownies from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips to desired amount.  Then cover entire surface with marshmallows.  Turn on broiler on low on oven and place brownies back in oven for 1-3 minutes until marshmallows are lightly toasted.

Bacon & Butternut Squash Pasta

Adapted from Cooking Light

This was delicious!  It did take some time to prepare, especially since it uses butternut squash, which is always a bit more involved.  But the outcome was SO worth the effort.  I would definitely recommend it for a Sunday meal when you have a little more time to devote to cooking.  I served with a Light Caesar salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (3 cups diced)
• ½ tsp dried rosemary (or 1 ½ tsp fresh)
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ lb bacon
• 1 cup onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• Pinch nutmeg
• 8 oz whole wheat penne, shells, or macaroni
• ¾ cup sharp provolone, shredded
• ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated

Directions:

1.      Preheat oven to 425 F.   Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly gresse with cooking spray.

2.      In a large bowl toss squash and rosemary with olive oil to coat.  Season with kosher salt and pepper.  Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.  Roast in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender and golden. 

3.      Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil  Cook pasta according to package directions; drain; set aside.

4.      Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Set aside to drain. Reserve 1 Tbsp. of bacon grease in the skillet. Crumble bacon once cooled.

5.      Sauté shallots and garlic in the reserved bacon grease over medium heat until tender. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the cream, 1/2 cup at a time, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Season with a pinch of nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. 

6.      In a large bowl, toss to combine 3/4 of the roasted squash, the cooked pasta, 3/4 of the crumbled bacon, the sauce, and the Provolone and Parmesan (reserving some cheese to sprinkle on top). Pour into a lightly greased 9x9 baking dish. Top with the remaining bacon and squash. Sprinkle with the reserved cheese.

7.      Bake in preheated 425 F oven for 10 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Let set several minutes before serving.

Serves 4.

Cinnamon Syrup

Adapted from Allrecipes

Since it was conference weekend, we needed to have brunch!  However, my husband wasn't feeling too adventurous and just wanted some traditional french toast.  I insisted on making it a little more fun and decided on a homemade syrup.  The cinnamon flavor is the best part of the french toast, so this seemed the perfect compliment to the meal.  And it was!  I really liked the syrup and will most definitely be making it again.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbs flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup water

Directions:

Stir together the white sugar, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small saucepan.  Stir in vanilla extract and water.  Bring to a rolling boil, stirring often.  Boil for about a minute…do not want it to thicken too much or it will become goopy.  Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes before serving.

Southwest Turkey Wraps

Adapted from Allrecipes

This is probably my favorite wrap.  I love the creaminess of the sour cream/yogurt AND I love that it is so easy to prepare.  I often have many of the ingredients on hand.  The taco seasoning makes it very flavorful too.

Ingredients:

• 2 whole wheat tortillas
• ¼ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
• 2 Tbs taco seasoning
• 1/3 cup each of Sharp Cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese
• ½ avocado, sliced
• 4-6 oz. of deli turkey, depending on how much meat you like

Directions:

Mix the sour cream/yogurt with the taco seasoning in a small bowl.  Spread half over the top of each tortilla.  Sprinkle cheese over the sour cream/yogurt mixture.  Layer avocados on half of the tortilla and then cover the entire tortilla with a layer of turkey meat.  Roll the tortilla and cut in half to serve. 
Note:  Next time we make this I think we will add some sliced bell peppers for a little crunch.