Crockpot Chicken Curry

Paleo, DIY crockpot curry:

Recipe

1 1/2 lb boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into chunks
6 c of chopped veggies, e.g., onion, carrot, green beans, broccoli, tomatoes, red bell pepper
14 oz coconut milk
1 c crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt & pepper

Chop your chicken and veggies and put them in your crockpot.  Add the coconut milk, tomatoes, and spices.  Stir, cover, and cook low for 5-6 hours.  You can uncover for the last hour to help it thicken.

Notes

My spice selection wasn't quite up for the job this time: no coriander, and ran out of cinnamon.  So the end product lacked that distinct curry flavor.  You couldn't tell by the scent, though - the coconut is especially mouth-watering.  And ultimately, the taste was fine.  The chicken is super tender :)  I could do with a little more spice, and I guess coriander.  With the abundant vegetable options, this one's definitely worth keeping in mind.

The original recipe calls it "yellow curry"; mine was clearly a rich orange though:

Potatoes & Kale

A nice and healthy way to enjoy some farmer's market bounty:

Recipe

1 lb medium red potatoes
4 c shredded kale
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
salt & pepper

Boil the potatoes until tender, then (peel and) slice.  Heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute the onion until starting to brown.  Add the kale, toss until it wilts, and saute about 5 minutes.  Add the potatoes, heat, season, and serve.

Notes

As sides go, it's pretty hearty - if you're not too hungry, it might do for a light meal.  The picture from the original recipe seems to be more of a mashed potato configuration; mine was definitely chunkier:

Spicy Chicken Nuggets

Another recipe from the magic of social networks:

Recipe

1 lb boneless chicken thighs
1 egg
1/3 c milk (buttermilk, almond, etc.)
1 1/2 c bread crumbs
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp additional seasonings (basil, oregano, parsley, etc.)
salt & pepper

Cut the chicken into small pieces.  Whisk together the egg and milk, and let the chicken sit while you mix the dry ingredients.  Shake some of the moisture off of the chicken and roll in the breading.

You have your choice of cooking options: deep fry, shallow fry (a few minutes each side), bake (10 mins at 425?).

The recipe suggests a mix of honey, mustard, and mayonnaise for a sauce.

Notes

I went with a shallow fry, which was a bit tricky in the apartment from an air ventilation standpoint.  The nuggets were barely cooked through before the smoke became an issue.  Very tasty coating, and a lot of it on the small chicken bits.  Here's the much-needed hearty meal with mashed potatoes and baked kale:

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Vegetarian crockpot recipe, for a change:

Recipe

up to 1 lb broccoli, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pint half-and-half
2 cups stock
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
16 oz, sharp cheddar cheese

The broccoli, onion, carrot, and garlic go in the crockpot.  Pour over the half-and-half and stock, and the spices, and mix it all up.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Once it's done, blend or mash it up.  Add cheese and serve.

Notes

I got back from work to quite a strong scent...  The contents of the crockpot seemed to have separated out a bit.  Not as green as I thought, either.  However, once it's all smashed up it's pretty good.  A pound of cheese seems like an awful lot, but it really is an essential ingredient so don't hold back!  And it may not be an essential ingredient, but warmed up the leftovers with some bacon, also pretty good.

Ground Beef with Eggs & Stuff

This recipe probably came out of a conversation with heavy use of the word "bro."

Recipe

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
10 oz. spinach
2-4 eggs
salt & pepper, sriracha

Start to brown the beef over medium heat.  Once it gives up some moisture and fat, add the onion and garlic.  Meanwhile, whisk up the eggs.  Once the beef is cooked through, add in the spinach, then the eggs, and cook through.  Season with salt, pepper, and sriracha, and eat.

Notes

I was kind of expecting this to be a kind of gross protein delivery system, but it was actually pretty good!  It still probably couldn't pass off as "deconstructed meatloaf" or anything fancy, though...  As far as my own spin on the recipe, I halved most of the key ingredients but just used one egg, which semed enough for me.  I also used fresh(ish) spinach instead of frozen as the recipe recommends.  If you do the same, put in a lot!  It should look almost like a salad at first, but it wilts down nicely...  Seasoning is key too.  Actually even looked pretty good:

Smoky Butternut Squash & Coconut Soup

I'm still in the process of deciding whether I like butternut squash or I *really* like butternut squash.  Good results so far with roasting it, but to try something new, how about a soup?  After some iffy metric conversions, here's what I ended up doing:

Recipe

1 medium-to-small-ish butternut squash, peeled (obviously) and diced :p
1 onion, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 c vegetable stock
1 can coconut milk
(coconut) oil, salt & pepper

Heat a couple tbsps of oil over medium in a large saucepan, then add the squash, onion, and garlic.  Cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.  Then add the paprika, stir, and cook another minute.  Add the broth and simmer 15 minutes or until the squash is soft.  Blend or mash it up, then stir in the coconut milk.  Heat and serve, they recommend over lentils.

Notes

Lots of thoughts...

Is butternut squash season over?  This was the iffiest of the squashes I've bought and prepped in the last month or two...

Peeling and cubing butternut squash for roasting is work enough; dicing is a pretty big hassle.

I mashed instead of blending (with my non-existent blender); the chunky texture (particularly the onions, which didn't mash at all really) is not a problem!

I figured rice would be fine, but invested in a bag of lentils anyway.  Definitely a good call.  Wouldn't consider myself much of a lentil fan, but they add a nice earthy, peppery, savory flavor to the soup.

The soup is delicious, but like most vegetarian dishes, it seemed like something was missing.  Some spicy sausage might be a key addition...

Beef & Mushroom Soup etc.

Here's a handy (sorry CI editing staff) soup infographic.  It's a simple formula:

1. Aromatics: onion, shallot, leek
2. Protein: beef, chicken, tofu, beans, peanut butter (!)
3. Spices
4. Liquid: various broths & stocks
5. Veggies (loosely defined): peppers, mushrooms, sweet potato
6. Garnish

 Here's the first one I wanted to try:

Recipe

1. 1 onion, chopped
2. 1/2 lb ground beef
3. 1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
4. 4-6 c mushroom broth
5. 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
6. tarragon, sour cream

oil, salt & pepper

Saute the onion, then add in the meat, mushrooms, and spices.  Add in the broth and simmer 20-30 minutes.  Garnish and serve.

Notes

This is all approximate enough.  The recipe calls for 1/4 lb of ground beef, which I doubled (and could have done more, honestly).  I also reduced the liquid down to one box of broth (4 c).  They also seem to claim you just simmer the meat and mushrooms, but I browned/sauteed it a bit first to be safe.  Then I forgot the sour cream.  Typical.  Anyway, this is a very tasty, earthy soup, good for a cold winter night.  It could use a starch - not one of their categories, not sure if Shape is paleo, Atkins or what - but noodles or rice would help make it filling.

Postscript: Yeah, finished the leftovers with some egg noodles and sour cream (remembered this time).  Gives it some solid bulk...