Thai Chicken Curry

I’m always looking for quick and easy dishes to make for weeknight dinners, but they still have to taste great. This recipe delivered on both counts. It certainly was fast enough—it came together in minutes! From the first step of whisking together the coconut milk and Thai curry paste, my kitchen was perfumed with a familiar spicy sweet aroma. To keep this dish on the healthy side, I used "light" coconut milk and served with steamed brown rice, thanks to my handy rice cooker.

Adapted from: Thai Chicken Curry, Bon Appétit, August 2000

Ingredients
1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk, whisked to blend
1 ¼ teaspoons Thai curry paste
1 large red bell pepper, cut into ⅓-inch-wide strips
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 pound chicken tenders, cut crosswise in half
1 tablespoon (packed) brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla)
⅓ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Bring ¼ cup coconut milk and curry paste to boil in large skillet over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Add bell pepper and onion; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in chicken, remaining coconut milk, sugar and fish sauce. Cook until chicken is cooked through, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Black Bean, Spinach, and Mushroom Burritos

What a healthy and tasty treat this dish was! The filling cooks up quickly, in one large skillet, and packs a lot of flavor. I used whole wheat tortillas to assemble the burritos. This recipe maintains a mild flavor in terms of spiciness, but you can always add more heat with your favorite chile peppers or with a few dashes of Tabasco mixed in with the enchilada sauce.

Adapted from: Black Bean, Spinach, and Mushroom Burritos, Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
½ pound mushrooms, finely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 bunch spinach (about 1 pound), coarse stems discarded, washed well and spun dry
2 garlic cloves
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed well and drained
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 scallions, finely chopped
¾ cup coarsely grated pepper Jack cheese (about 5 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup canned mild enchilada sauce
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
Accompaniment: Sour cream

Directions
In a heavy skillet cook onion and mushrooms in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until golden. Add spinach and garlic and cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted, about 30 seconds. Stir in beans, lemon juice, scallions, pepper Jack, salt, to taste, and cook stirring, until cheese is melted.

In a small saucepan, heat enchilada sauce.

Heat a dry skillet (large enough to hold 1 tortilla) over moderately high heat until hot. In skillet heat tortillas, 1 at a time, turning frequently, 30 seconds, or until softened, and transfer to a work surface. Divide filling between tortillas and roll up burritos.

Spoon sauce over burritos and serve with sour cream.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I’ve been sick for the past few days, and there are several things I do to self-comfort when I’m not feeling well. Ever since I was very young, my mother swears that fresh-squeezed orange juice always cures me. But I also crave the comfort and magical healing powers of chicken noodle soup. I usually try to keep some of this soup in the freezer to have on hand when the need arises, but this recipe is easy enough that I can usually muster the energy to prepare it even when I’m under the weather. Once you try this recipe, you will never settle for the canned soup again.

Source: Chicken Noodle Soup, Williams Sonoma Soup

Ingredients
6 cups chicken stock or prepared broth
1 skinless, boneless whole chicken breast, about ½ pound
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 ounces dried thin egg noodles
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the stock to a simmer. Add the chicken breast and simmer just until tender and no trace of pink remains, 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the chicken cool in the liquid. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cut into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.

Return the chicken stock to a simmer over medium-high heat and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Simmer until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 10 minutes, skimming away any foam that rises to the surface of the stock.

Add the cubed chicken, noodle, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until the noodles are tender, about 3 minutes.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. Serve immediately.

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

This dish is a vegetarian version of baked penne, but it’s so good that you’ll never miss the meat. Roasting the vegetables maintains some of the crunch and brings out all the sweetness and great flavors. Oddly, I couldn't find smoked mozzarella at my grocery store this time, so I improvised with regular mozzarella and a few dashes of Liquid Smoke. In the end, this dish was super easy to throw together and was a big hit at dinner.

Source: Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables, Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cremini mushrooms, halved
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
1 pound penne pasta

3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
1 cup grated fontina cheese
½ cup grated smoked mozzarella
1 ½ cups frozen peas, thawed
¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus ⅓ cup for topping
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining ⅓ cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

Croque Monsieur

Croque monsieur is simply a fancy French grilled ham and cheese sandwich, and this recipe is delicious! I used a crusty French loaf for the bread, which adds a wonderful crunchy texture. The Gruyère, ham, and mustard complement each other perfectly, and the cheese sauce adds richness to the flavor of the sandwich. The result is a tasty indulgence. Thanks to Kathy of All Food Considered for such a great Barefoot Bloggers selection.

Source: Croque Monsieur, Barefoot in Paris

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
12 ounces Gruyère, grated (5 cups)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
Dijon mustard
8 ounces baked Virginia ham, sliced but not paper thin

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter–flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, ½ cup grated Gruyère, and the Parmesan and set aside.

To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.

Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyère. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Container Herb Garden

In honor of Earth Day, I planted an herb garden in a large container for my patio. Select a container pot large enough to hold a combination of your favorite herbs. For my herb garden, I used Roma tomatoes, flat-leaf Italian parsley, dill, cilantro, and basil. I also planted rosemary in a separate pot, since it will grow into a fairly sizable bush.

Source: Like Planting Veggies in a Barrel, WashingtonPost.com

Tzatziki

I made falafel again this weekend for my sister, who was visiting. I wanted a different sauce from the tahini sauce that I made last time. This tzatziki, or cucumber yogurt sauce, was perfect with the falafel!

Ingredients
1 cup plain yogurt
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Fresh juice of 1 lemon
½ cucumber

Directions
Cut the cucumber half lengthwise into fourths, then chop into ½-inch pieces. Mix together all the ingredients.

Serve as an accompaniment to falafel or lamb.