French Country Curry

I think I first tasted curry in college, when my friend's French mother made us a deliciously rich and sweet and spicy gravy served over chicken and mashed potatoes. I loved the flavor from the moment it hit my tongue and soon after searched all my cookbooks (a very limited collection at the time) looking for something similar I could replicate. Finding nothing among my mostly Betty Crocker and Good Housekeeping recipes, I devised my own curry gravy of curry powder, chicken broth, cream, and honey. It was warming and comforting and tasted divine; my foray into a twenty year (and counting) love of curries. This recipe is a recent experiment inspired by that first curry fed to me by Mrs. O. and has quickly become our "new favorite" curry.

 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 pound paleo-friendly smoked sausage, sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 Japanese eggplant, cut in half length-wise and thickly sliced
• 1 zucchini or yellow squash, cut in half length-wise and thickly sliced
• 1 cup green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2-4 T Thai yellow curry paste
• 1 can coconut milk
• 3 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
• 1 cup sugar-free applesauce 
• 1-2 tsp fish sauce
• 2-4 tsp lime juice

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a dutch oven or large pan over medium-high heat.
2. Fry the onion until it turns golden brown and begins to carmelize.
3. Add the chicken and sausage and fry until the chicken is done. Frying the meats together will impart a nice savory flavor on the chicken. Remove the meat and set aside, leaving any liquid in the pan.
4. Add curry paste to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes. The paste will become fragrant and may begin popping and sizzling.
5. Add about 1/3 can of coconut milk and mix well with the curry paste. Fry for 5-10 minutes or until an oil sheen appears and the coconut milk begins to separate.
6. Add the vegetables and fry 5 minutes, ensuring the veggies are covered with the curry paste and coconut milk mixture.
7. Stir the meat back into pan.
8. Add the remaining 2/3 can of coconut milk and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
9. Add applesauce, fish sauce, and lime juice and mix well. Reduce the heat and simmer 20-30 minutes until the veggies reach a desired consistency.
10. Serve immediately.

Massaman Beef Curry

Just when I thought I couldn't make a better curry...

In one of my earliest posts, I shared how to make a perfect Thai Coconut Curry, but I think I've actually out-curried myself. On this day, I tossed some meat and veggies into the slow cooker in the morning without really knowing what I was going to make for dinner. Coming home to a house filled with smells of a gingery-stew was lovely, but I just wasn't in the mood to eat it as-is. In 15-minutes, I whipped that "plain" stew into the best Massaman curry I've ever had!

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds stew meat, cubed
• 1 onion, cut into eighths
• 2-3 carrots, cut into large chunks
• 1-2 turnips, cut into large chunks
• 1-2 inch piece of ginger, sliced
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 tsp Berbere spice or cayenne (optional)
• 1 T coconut oil
• 2-4 T Massaman curry paste 
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 tsp coconut aminos (or wheat-free tamari) 
• 1/4 cup cashews (optional)

Directions:

1. Add meat, onion, carrots, turnips, ginger, and beef broth to slow cooker. Sprinkle with Berbere spice or cayenne, if using.
2. Cook stew on low for 4-6 hours, or until meat is cooked through and tender.
3. Heat oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat.
4. Add curry paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. The paste will become fragrant and may begin popping and sizzling.
5. Add about 1/3 can of coconut milk and mix well with the curry paste and oil. Fry for 5-10 minutes or until an oily sheen appears the coconut milks begins to separate.
6. Add the remaining 2/3 can of coconut milk along with the coconut aminos.
7. Add contents of slow cooker into the curry sauce, including the liquid. Cook 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
8. Taste and adjust. Too mild? Add more curry paste. Too bland? Add more coconut aminos. Too thick? Add a little water. Continue adjusting until you reach that taste of ultimate yumminess.
9. Serve immediately.

Note: The store bought Massaman curry paste tends to be much  more mild than the other pastes I buy. I usually have to double the amount of paste to get the level of flavor I like. I don't generally use fish sauce or lime juice in Massaman curry, but you can certainly add those ingredients instead of the coconut aminos if you like.

Roasted Winter Squash Soup

I love soup. Anytime of year, but especially thick, warming soups in winter. Before moving to a paleo diet, my favorite soup ingredients often included pasta or beans. Since cold weather has set in, I've enjoyed experimenting with new recipes sans the ingredients I'm trying to avoid. I've had a couple delicious winter squash soups before, but some reason, have never attempted it at home. Now that I'm a serious squash lover, I just had to come up with an easy squash soup. And I am NOT complaining about the results!

For this soup, I wanted a sweet taste and smooth texture. I chose Blue Kuri squash with bright orange flesh. I also had a Delcata squash that needed eaten, so I added that as well. I think this soup base would work just fine for any winter squash. I'll be experimenting... and there's plenty more winter left in Alaska to do just that!

Ingredients:

• 1 blue kuri and 1 delcata squash (substitute as desired)
• olive oil
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 T coconut oil
• 1 sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup coconut milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut the squash and remove seeds.
3. Drizzle squash with olive oil and sprinkle generously with fresh ground pepper.
4. Bake for 45 minutes.
5. Let cool.
6. Heat coconut oil in a pan.
7. Fry onion on low-medium heat until golden brown and carmelized.
8. Scoop flesh from squash and place in blender with fried onion, chicken broth, and coconut milk.
9. Blend until smooth. Add water until desired consistency is reached.
10. Return to stovetop and heat.

Note: The squash can be baked a day ot two before making the soup. I cooked it the previous night while cooking dinner.

Laksa Lemak

Curry laksa is a spicy, coconut-curry-noodle soup from Malaysia and one our favorite weekend lunches. Lemak refers specifically to the addition of coconut milk, one of my favorite ingredients to create a rich, creamy, dish. Many traditional preparations of this dish call for tofu and mixed seafood, but I prefer a simpler style made with ground turkey, leftover roasted chicken, or even meatless. I paleo-ize the dish by using kelp noodles instead of vermicelli or rice noodles and also add cut, fresh vegetables; it's a great way to get rid of veggies in the fridge.

Serves 4

Note that many recipes exist for homemade rempah (laksa paste). I have also seen pre-packaged laksa paste, but have yet to find a paleo-friendly brand available locally. Since I always have Thai curry paste on-hand, I use that as the spice mixture for my laksa. Not authentic, but good enough.

Ingredients:

• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 "scoop" red or panang curry paste (start with 2-3 tsp)
• 1-2 cans coconut milk
• 4 cups chicken broth (rich, homemade broth is the best)
• 1 package kelp noodles, rinsed and drained 
• 1-2 T fish sauce
• 1-2 tsp lime juice
• chilies or sambal oelek for more kick (optional)
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced diagonally
• 1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut, if necessary
• 2-3 T fresh basil or cilantro, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add ground turkey and fry until cooked through. If using leftover chicken, add it to the pan and continue to the next step.
3. Add curry paste and mix well to distribute throughout the meat.
4. Add the coconut milk. I usually begin by adding one can of coconut milk. After everything else has been added, I test taste to see if I want to add more. I usually end up using half of the second can.
5. Add the chicken broth, kelp noodles, fish sauce, lime juice, and chilies, if using. Bring to a boil then reduce and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Test taste and if necessary, adjust the flavor with more curry paste, coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, and/or chilies. I like to get the coconut gravy tasting "perfect" before moving the next step.
7. Add the vegetables and simmer until they reach a desired doneness.
8. Stir in cilantro, if using.
9. Serve immediately.

Asian Lettuce Wrap

Time was ticking away. The girls were complaining of hunger pains, despite the jumbo, protein-filled breakfast they had eaten only a couple hours before. And in reality, I didn't have much time to cook something up and still call it lunch. I had been immersed in the Share a Primal Recipe thread  at Mark's Daily Apple where hundreds of mouth-watering, paleo recipes have been posted.

With a couple of Asian inspired recipes fresh in my mind (and a nearly empty fridge), here is what I cobbled together: a messy, but tasty lettuce wrap filled with sesame-cucumber salad, Asian noodle salad, and bacon!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• one serving of Sesame-Cucumber Salad (recipe below)
• one serving of Asian Noodle Salad (recipe below)
• 8 large, sturdy lettuce leaves
• 8 slices of bacon, fried

Directions:

1. Build wraps using the bacon and salads. Serve immediately!

Note: Other meat, such as roasted chicken could be easily substituted for the bacon.


Sesame-Cucumber Salad (inspired by Melissa at The Clothes Make the Girl)

Ingredients:

• 1 T tahini paste
• 1 T cashew butter, unsweetened
• 1 T coconut aminos
• 1 T rice vinegar, unsweetened
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 cucumber, sliced in thin strips by hand or with a  mandolin slicer

Directions:

1. Combine the tahini, cashew butter, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Mix until well blended.
2. Stir in the cucumber.

Asian Noodle Salad (inspired by Melissa at The Clothes Make the Girl)

Ingredients:

• 2 T coconut milk
• 1 T tahini paste
• 1 T cashew butter, unsweetened
• 1 T lime juice
• 1 tsp coconut aminos
• 1/2 tsp garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 package kelp noodles, boiled for 10 minutes and drained
• 1 cup coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage

Directions:

1. Combine the coconut milk, tahini, cashew butter, lime juice, coconut aminos, garlic, and ginger. Mix until well blended. The sauce with thicken quickly, but thin out when combined with the noodles.
2. Stir in the noodles and cabbage.

Chicken Pancakes with Cucumber Salad

The Reality and the Beauty Shot

Twice in the past few weeks I've tried recipes off the backs of packages. The first was "Authentic" Indian Curry. (Which turned out really well - but I can't top Angie's Indian food so I won't even try.) And the second was "Chicken Pancakes with Cucumber salad" from the back of Ayam's coconut mild powder. It was pretty close to paleo as-is, and looked pretty good.

The reason for the 2 very different pictures? Well, if you've ever tried, you know how tough it is to make anything usually flour based without flour, and food blog pictures are supposed to be pretty... but when your next idea flops in the artistic photographs department, ya still gotta eat~ and this tasted really, really good.... Another egg and some careful flipping saved the day, but I wanted to post the first attempt as a reminder that the whole point of eating this way is be healthier and the reasons we share these recipes is to show that you can eat healthy and have some darn good food in the process...even if it sometimes falls apart!

Cucumber Salad (good for this recipe, or as a side for anything Thai!)

2 Cucumbers

1 Tablespoon fish sauce

1 Tablespoon tamarind puree (recipe called for plum sauce)

1 Tablespoon lime juice

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Slice sideways in thin slices. (you'll end up with half-moons.) Mix with all remaining ingredients...adjusting as needed to taste. Set aside while you make the pancakes.

Chicken Pancakes (or scramble!)

400 grams leftover chicken, or turkey... finely chopped. I used a hand chopper and ended up with around 2 cups of diced meat.

1/3 cup coconut flour

1 cup coconut milk

1 heaping tablespoon chopped red chillis-- from a jar. (Know thy palate ~ adjust to taste.)

2 green onions, sliced uber thin

2 eggs

Mix all ingredients well... grease your fry pan and scoop out mix 1/3 cup at a time to form pancakes. You will be much more successful if you use a medium heat and WAIT at least 3-4 minutes before attempting to flip. Don't be shy with oil in the pan. (I used coconut oil of course, but you don't have to.) If you are in a hurry, lack patience, or have anger management issues--- go for the scramble! Which really means, try making pancakes but don't stress when you go to flip them and they completely fall apart... OR--jump right to my salvage step-- add another egg (or two,) adjust seasonings, take your time, and go for the pretty pancakes. Either way, serve the cucumber salad over or next to the pancakes... Enjoy!

Mixed Seafood Red Curry

On the tail of my previous post about making a perfect Thai Coconut Curry, I thought I'd give an example of the deliciousness you can create with a little imagination. This rich red curry is so gorgeous, I serve it plain and always want to eat the whole batch in a single sitting.

Ingredients:

• 1 T coconut oil
• 2 T red curry paste 
• 1 can coconut milk
• kaffir lime leaves (optional)
• 1 Japanese eggplant, cut into chunks
• 1 cup fresh green beans, end trimmed and cut in half
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
• 2 heads baby bok choy, cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup baby tomatoes, whole
• 1/4 pound salmon, cut into chunks
• 3 sea scallops, cut in half
• 3 large prawns, peeled and deveined
• 1 1/2 tsp fish sauce
• 3 tsp lime juice
• 2-3 cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add curry paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. The paste will become fragrant and may begin popping and sizzling.
3. Add about 1/3 can of coconut milk and kaffir limes leaves (if using) and mix well with the curry paste and oil. Fry for 5-10 minutes or until an oily sheen appears the coconut milks begins to separate.
4. Add the vegetables and fry 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the seafood and fry 1-2 minutes.
6. Add the remaining 2/3 can of coconut milk along with the fish sauce and lime juice. Cook 5 minutes, or until the seafood is cooked through and the vegetables are at a desired doneness.
7. Taste and adjust. Too mild? Add more curry paste. Too bland? Add more fish sauce and/or lime juice. Too thick? Add a little water. Continue adjusting until you reach that taste of ultimate yumminess.
8. Stir in cilantro and serve immediately.

A Perfect Thai Coconut Curry

Thai Curry is probably the most frequently cooked dish in my house. I could make a different curry each night of the week and would never get tired of the creamy deliciousness! The basic ingredients of a Thai Curry are curry paste, coconut milk, and protein and/or veggies. From there, you can mix and match to create an endless variety of gorgeous meals.

Here's an overview of the different types of Thai curries (from mild to spicy) and the most common combinations:

• Yellow Curry (Kaeng Kari). This is generally a mild Thai curry and turmeric in the paste results in a bright yellow color. Yellow curry is most often made with chicken, onion, and potatoes. For a paleo version of this basic recipe, I substitute rutabaga or other paleo-friendly root vegetables for the potatoes. I also like making a yellow curry with shrimp and baby sweet tomatoes.
• Massaman Curry (Kaeng Matsaman). This Thai curry is Muslim in origin and the paste contains "warming" spices like cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and nutmeg. Massaman curry is a great winter curry and is most often made with beef, nuts, onion, and potatoes. I generally make massaman curry with beef, onion, and cashews then serve it over mixed raw cut veggies although again, paleo-friendly root vegetables can be substituted for the potatoes.
• Panang Curry (Panaeng). This Thai curry is one of my favorites and can range from quite mild to fiery hot. Panang curry paste has similar ingredients to red curry paste (and in some cases, recipes even call for red curry paste), but the preparation of a panang curry makes it distinct. While the other curries tend to be served in a bowl with a creamy coconut gravy, panang is a "dry" curry made it less coconut milk and served on a plate. Panang curry is often made with beef or chicken and peanuts. I like substituting cashews for the peanuts and I think pretty much any veggie tastes great in a panang curry.
• Red Curry (Kaeng Phet). This is a spicier Thai curry made with red chilies and is usually prepared with chicken or seafood and bamboo shoots. I like adding red bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli although like the panang, I will use any veggie in a red curry.
• Green Curry (Kaeng Khiao Wan). This is one of the spiciest Thai curries made with green chilies and I believe the most common in Thailand. It is made with a variety of meats but almost always contains eggplant. In addition to eggplant, I like making it with chicken and adding other green vegatables like fresh green beans, zucchini, baby bok choy and broccoli.

Note that I do not make my own curry paste. There are plenty of recipes for each type of curry paste, but most pre-packaged pastes are paleo-friendly (but read the ingredients to be sure) and I've never been quite able to attain the same tastes with my homemade curry paste. So I take the easy road here.

Ingredients:

• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 "scoop" curry paste of choice (start with 1-2 tsp - you can add more later)
• 1 can coconut milk
• kaffir lime leaves (optional)
• chilies or sambal oelek for more kick (optional)
• 2-3 cups vegetable(s) of choice, chopped
• 1 pound meat of choice, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1-2 tsp fish sauce
• 2-4 tsp lime juice
• 2-3 T fresh basil or cilantro, chopped (optional)
• cashews (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add curry paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. The paste will become fragrant and may begin popping and sizzling.
3. Add about 1/3 can of coconut milk and kaffir limes leaves (if using) and mix well with the curry paste and oil. Fry for 5-10 minutes or until an oily sheen appears the coconut milks begins to separate.
4. Add the vegetables and fry 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the meat and fry 1-2 minutes.
6. Add the remaining 2/3 can of coconut milk along with the fish sauce and lime juice. Cook 5 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are at a desired doneness.
7. Taste and adjust. Too mild? Add more curry paste. Too bland? Add more fish sauce and/or lime juice. Too thick? Add a little water. Continue adjusting until you reach that taste of ultimate yumminess.
8. Stir in basil or cilantro and cashews (if using).
9. Serve immediately over Cauliflower Rice, Spaghetti Squash, or a mix of chopped raw vegetables.

Pork Vindaloo and Cauliflower Rice

Vindaloo is typically known as a fiery hot Indian curry. It was first introduced to the Goan region by the Portuguese as a meat stew flavored with wine and garlic. The Indians created their own version by switching out the wine for vinegar and adding plenty of spice from red chillies. A spicy Pork Vindaloo is one of the hottest dishes served in most Indian restaurants but if you really want to set yourself on fire, keep your eyes open for the even spicier Tindaloo. This is a mild and creamy Vindaloo, but feel free to adjust the heat with by throwing in some extra chillies!

Pork Vindaloo Ingredients:

• 3 T coconut oil
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 onion, cut into chunks
• 3 T grainy mustard
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp turmeric (or curry powder)
• 1/2 to 2 tsp cayenne powder
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 pounds pork, cubed
• 1 can coconut milk

Pork Vindaloo Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add whole garlic cloves and fry until lightly browned.  (If not using a pressure cooker, I crush the garlic).
2. Add onions and fry until lightly browned, stirring as needed.
3. Make a paste by mixing the mustard, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, and vinegar.  Stir in to the onions and garlic and mix well.
4. Stir in the meat and coconut milk.
5. Cover and bring to high pressure in the cooker.  Reduce heat and cook with pressure for 20 minutes.  If using a normal stovepot pan, simmer until the meat is cooked through, approximately 60 minutes.
6. Serve immediately over Cauliflower Rice or raw chopped veggies.

Cauliflower Rice: There are many ways to prepare Cauliflower Rice and this is my favorite. Finely chop or grate one head of raw cauliflower. Spread thinly on a cookie sheet then drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until browned. Stir halfway through to brown the cauliflower more evenly. Serve immediately or it tends to get a bit soft.

Curry Chicken Satay and Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry

Skewers! I could take my kids' least favorite food, stick it on a skewer, and they would gobble it up like a birthday dinner. This summer, I've spent a lot of time experimenting with paleo-friendly marinades and sauces for grilled items. Surprise, surprise... this one with Indian flavors has risen above the others as a family favorite. My oldest daughter is not crazy about cooked vegetables... except for this stir-fry. She can make an entire meal out of the garlic broccoli alone!

Curry Chicken Satay Ingredients:

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 T fresh ginger, grated
• 2-3 T curry powder
• 2-3 T lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs, cut into strips

Garlic Broccoli Ingredients:

• 2 T coconut oil (or oil of choice)
• 6-10 garlic cloves, chopped (yes, this recipe is for garlic lovers only!)
• 1 bunch cilantro - stems only, chopped
• 2 bunches broccoli, chopped
• 2 T coconut aminos

Curry Chicken Satay Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a glass bowl and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
2. While chicken marinades, soak wooden skewers in water to prevent burning.
3. Put chicken on skewers and grill until done. I use leftover marinade to baste the chicken during the first few minutes of cooking.

 Garlic Broccoli Directions:

1. Heat oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add garlic and cilantro stems and fry until golden brown.
3. Add broccoli and stir well to distribute the oil, garlic, and cilantro throughout. Fry 3 to 5 minutes or until broccoli begins to soften.
4. Add coconut aminos. This should slightly steam the broccoli.
5. Remove from heat when broccoli reaches a desired tenderness.