Crock Pot Chicken with Coconut Curry Peanut Sauce

I have to admit that the idea for this dish is not my own... but the original recipe I saw had so many more ingredients in it... that I decided to simplify it and share it with you as I prepared it.  It's a long title I k,now Crock Pot Chicken with Coconut Curry Peanut Sauce but I didn't want to leave out any of the important descriptors!

I understand that there are lots of great peanut flours out there right now... I have yet to try any but PB2 so I am calling for it here. I use it on a regular basis, actually and only enjoy real peanut butter as an occasional treat these days. When I need it in quantities, such as for this recipe, I always use PB2.

Anyway, it's very easy... toss it all into the crock pot and let it simmer for  6 or 7 hours.  And enjoy the aroma as it cooks!  You're welcome.

It is a creamy and very thick sauce. And because this dish has so much meat in it, and I had mine over cauliflower rice, I didn't bother with more veggies as a side dish.  But I think it would be nice with a few slices of steamed carrots or green beans.

Crock Pot Chicken with Coconut Curry Peanut Sauce
Makes 2 large servings

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approx 12 ounces in total)
• 1 Tbs curry powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 clove garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 4 Tbs PB2
• 2 green onions, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Lightly coat crock pot with a non-stick spray for easy cleanup.
2. Cut chicken into chunks about 1-1/2 inches square and place in the bottom of the crock pot.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the curry powder, coriander, garlic, and ginger.
5. Add the PB2 and coconut milk and stir altogether till well blended.
6. Pour the mixture over the chicken and make sure all the pieces are well coated.
7. Cover the crock pot and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours.
8. Remove and serve over rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice.
9. Garnish with green onion slices, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 5.
Calories 240; Protein 39g; Carbohydrates 8g; Fat 8g; Fibre 2g.

Printable Recipe

Are you a peanut flour fan?  What is your favorite brand?

Kate’s Bright Green Lettuce Soup

Do you have any friends with whom you like to swap recipes and talk food?  One who gets as excited as you over a new find at Costco, or a new spice she has tried?  One who sends you flavored vinegars in the mail because she knows you will love them as much as she does?

Well, I do...  and I am so thankful for her.  My friend is Kate, and she has been the source of many of the recipes and ideas I have shared here with all of you.  When she told me about her Bright Green Lettuce Soup I thought it best to just turn things over to her.  And she is much, much too modest.

Here’s Kate's story:

I am so excited to be asked by my dear friend Elle to guest post on her blog! She’s very adventurous to ask a newbie to give it a whirl, don’t you think?

I have shared recipes with Elle in the past and frequently look for her input. About a year ago I started sharing photos of my creations so she could see what my end result looked like and compare her results to mine (hers are usually better!). So when I sent her the photos of this bright green soup she was very intrigued.

Getting back to the beginning. This year I purchased a half share CSA (community share agriculture). In my first delivery I received a HUGE bag of spring mix – the farmer calls it Spicy Mesclun Salad Mix. After eating it just about every day for lunch the first week, I still had 3/4 of a bag left and received another bag in the second delivery. {Picked up week’s 6 delivery, and there has been a bag of this Spicy Mesclun Salad Mix, each week.}

I was making chit chat with a patient (I am a mammographer) and was talking about gardening, and juicing. So I mentioned my CSA and my spring mix dilemma. She suggested making soup out of it and said David Rocco had a recipe for one.

Well, I couldn't find the recipe she mentioned but I perused these ones:

• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/lettuce-soup-recipe2.html
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/creamy-arugula-and-lettuce-soup-with-goat-cheese-recipe.html
• http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1297403

And this is what I came up with:

Bright Green Lettuce Soup
Serves 5

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup onion chopped (about 1 medium)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil (or oil of your choice)
• 10 oz cleaned and dried spring mix
• 900 ml Campbell's vegetable soup broth (or make you own)
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (I found little 160 ml cans; about the size of tomato paste cans)
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Parsley for garnish if desired
• Chives for garnish if desired
• Greek Yogurt for garnish if desired (this will add an additional element of creaminess)

Directions:

1. Preheat the coconut oil in a heavy bottom soup pot.
2. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until onions are soft and translucent.
3. Add the stock to the pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered for 5-10 minutes to more fully cook the onions.
4. Turn the heat down and add the lettuce, cook until wilted. About 3-7 minutes more.
5. Remove from heat and carefully puree the mixture with an immersion blender, or cool completely and use a regular blender to puree.
6. Return to heat and stir in coconut milk. (** You could use cream, sour cream, or yogurt).
7. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley and chives.

Per serving without garnishes.
Weight Watchers P+ = 1.
Calories 47; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 5g; Fat 3g; Fibre 2g.

It smells delicious as it is cooking!!

The verdict:

It’s kind of like a cream of spinach soup, but probably not quite as thick.

I brought some to work the next day to share with my co-workers and they all had positive things to say....tasty, refreshing, exotic were some descriptors they offered.

This is a tasty and healthy soup. You could add some red Thai chili if you would like some extra zing, or a touch of arrowroot powder/cornstarch to make it a bit thicker if you like (of course adding more spring mix would also thicken it.)

Oh, did I mention it freezes really well and keeps it bright green hue?

Onions sauteed till translucent in the coconut oil.

 

Mixed Spring Greens, washed and dried.

 

Mmmmm.  Coconut milk.

 

Puree the soup...

 

till quite smooth.

 

Freeze the leftovers if you like…

 

The beautiful bright green color won’t disappear!

 

Printable Recipe

 

Have you ever made soup with lettuce?


Now what to do with the rest of the greens? Pesto perhaps?

Thanks so much to Kate for her lovely, delicous recipe, and for taking over the blog today... if you like this recipe won't you consider Pinning it or Tweeting it via @WeCanBegin2Feed. Thanks so much!

Coconut Chicken Curry

I have been doing a lot of reading lately about different ways to boost my immune system.  Of course, nutrition and the foods we eat play an important role in our health… and I have learned that the spice turmeric, especially when consumed with black or white pepper, is considered a super food when it comes to easing inflammation in the body, and giving our immune systems a boost.

This is very good news to me as I have become a very big fan of curries over the past couple of years.  And the main ingredient in my curry powder just happens to be turmeric.

I have a favorite Coconut Chicken dish, which I thought would work very well with the addition of some curry so decided to give it a try for our Sunday dinner.  It was delicious, and even though I had to open the windows while it cooked, so worth the little bit of effort it took to put it all together.
I served mine over some Cauliflower Rice, and I made some steamed brown rice for The Captain. I think it would be good over spaghetti squash strands, or roasted butternut squash too… and certainly over barley or faro if you are fan of those grains.

For my Weight Watchers buddies, go ahead and use a lighter coconut milk. I used a full fat version here and so the N.I. reflects that… the P+ values would be about 6 or 7 with a light coconut milk.

Coconut Chicken Curry
Makes 2 servings

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced – about 1 cup
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 200 ml canned coconut milk
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• dash of red pepper flakes
• dash of salt
• 3 ounces fresh spinach leaves

1. Place the coconut oil in a large skillet over MEDIUM heat.
2. Add the chicken pieces, garlic and onions and cook about 7 or 8 minutes till the chicken is almost cooked through.  Be careful not to brown the garlic.
3. Add the curry powder, and stir to coat the chicken, garlic and onions.
4. Add the coconut milk, black pepper red pepper flakes and salt. Stir to mix.
5. Increase the heat till the milk just begins to bubble.
6. Toss in the spinach and cover with a lid.
7. Reduce heat to LOW and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and plate.

Per Serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 9.
Calories 331; Protein 28g; Carbohydrate 8g; Fat 21g; Fibre 2g.

Cook chicken, garlic, and onions in a the coconut oil over medium heat.

Add the curry powder to coat, and then the coconut milk and stir well.

Toss in the spinach leaves and then cover to cook for 30 minutes.

Served over Cauliflower Rice for me…

and brown rice for The Captain.

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Are you a curry fan?

Silky Smooth Curried Coconut Sweet Potato Soup

Several months ago I pinned a recipe for a soup that I thought looked very good.  And I had another look at it when I had a craving for a sweet potato and coconut dish a few days ago.  It is a good looking soup, very thick and you may want to check it out.

This soup of mine was definitely inspired by that one so I wanted to be sure to give it credit,  but I do prefer to use my own tried and true vegetable soup method, and I changed up the spices a bit, too.

I used a full fat version of canned coconut milk in this soup and it feels like silk in your mouth.  The texture is really fabulous.  I know it would be good with a light coconut milk, too, and of course the calorie count would be lower… and for my Weight Watchers friends, the P+ values would certainly be less as well.

Your choice, of course. 

Any leftovers can be frozen or just kept in the fridge for use within a couple of days.

Here is how I made it.

Curried Coconut Sweet Potato Soup
Makes 5 one-cup servings

• 1 Tbs coconut oil
• 16 oz sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 4 oz white onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup coconut milk

1. Place the coconut oil in a large soup pot over MEDIUM heat.
2. Saute the onions and garlic until translucent, being careful not to let them brown.
3. Add the sweet potato chunks and saute about 5 minutes.
4. Add the spices and stir to coat the veggies.
5. Add the water, bring to a boil and then cover the pot, and reduce the heat to LOW and let the mixture simmer for about half an hour.
6. Remove the pot from the heat and using your immersion blender, puree the veggies and combine with the broth. You don’t want any lumps left.
7. Add the coconut milk to the mixture and stir or blend well.
8. Place soup in serving bowls, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 5.
Calories 159; Protein 6g; Carbohydrate 25g; Fat 6g; Fibre 3g.

Make sure your heat setting is not too high so that your garlice and onions do not brown when cooking.

Chop the sweet potato into 1/2 inch chunks so that it cook fairly quickly.

Still steaming when I opened the lid and started to puree.

That’s better!  Don’t want to melt the blender!

Almost done. You can see it it still a bit lumpy.

And ready to enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Another Hot Grainfree ‘Cereal’

I haven’t been eating grains for a few months now, but every once in a while I get a yen for a bowl of hot cereal in the morning. 

In the past I would have whipped up a pot of my Hot Flax ‘Cereal’ but I wanted something that didn’t have any protein powder in it either… I came up with this and we were both pleasantly surprised.

The Captain is a good guinea pig, but sometimes his enthusiasm is somewhat lacking... I am always very happy when he is surprised in a good way!  He approached this bowl very tentatively, I must admit, but ended up finishing it with great relish and asked if there was more!





Hot  Grainfree  ‘Cereal’
Makes 2 servings

• 1 medium banana
• 2 Tbs gluten-free milled flax seeds
• 2 Tbs almond flour
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1/4 cup light coconut milk

Toppings:

• 1 Tbs shredded unsweetened coconut
• 2 Tbs raisins to sprinkle on the top

1. Mash the banana in a medium bowl.
2. Add the flax, almond flour, egg whites, and coconut milk and beat well.
3. Pour the mixture into a saucepan over MEDIUM heat, and bring to a very gentle boil, stirring continuously to avoid burning. It will take about 5 or 6 minutes and will thicken as it cooks.
4. Remove to 2 serving bowls and sprinkle each with 1/2 Tbs of shredded unsweetened coconut and 1 Tbs raisins.

Per serving with toppings.
Weight Watchers P+ = 6.
Calories 235; Protein 11g; Carbohydrate 26g; Fat 10g; Fibre 5g.

Printable Recipe

Curried Coconut Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

I love to make soups in the Winter.  The aroma of garlic and onions fills the kitchen with the promise of homemade with love goodness!  I love the rich golden color and the silky texture.  And there are so many lovely local squashes in our local produce markets at this time of year that I want to sample them all.

In getting ready to start a 30 Day Paleo Challenge on January 1st I decided to make up a lovely spicy, nutritious soup, to have on hand for lunches and snacks.  I know that preparing for this challenge is going to be very important to my success on it. 

Normally I like to put a spoonful of fat free yogurt on my vegetable soups when I serve them... stirring the yogurt into the hot soup makes it creamy and rich.  But there is no dairy on the Paleo plan so I decided to use some coconut milk in this soup to take the place of the yogurt (I used a light version - after all I am still a Weight Watcher) and followed that theme by using coconut oil instead of the olive olive I would usually use, too. 

And I have to say, the coconut oil smells wonderful while it cooks.  Mouthwatering, actually!  I will be using it a lot more often.

I prefer to use my homemade turkey stock in recipes like this, but if you don't have turkey or chicken stock on hand, use a couple of bullion cubes and 4 cups of water.  It really does result in a richer flavor than water alone... or use vegetable bullion if you want a vegan soup.



Curried Coconut Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
Makes 6 servings of 1-1/2 cups each.

• 1 Tbs coconut oil/butter
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped (8 ounces)
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (26 ounces)
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 4 cups turkey stock
• 1 Tbs ground cumin
• 1/2 cup canned light coconut milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the coconut oil/butter in a large stock pot over MEDIUM heat.
2. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic and saute till translucent, about 6 or 7  minutes.
3. Add the butternut squash and the carrot pieces and cook another 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the ground cumin to coat the veggies.
5. Add the stock to the pot, cover with a lid and bring to a boil.
6. Lower the heat and leave the soup to simmer for 40 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 15 minutes
8. Purree the soup with your immersion blender or remove to blender jar in batches to purree.
9. Stir in coconut milk and gently reheat before serving.
10. Season with salt and pepper at the table.

At first I wasn't sure if I had added enough cumin to my soup because it didn't seem to be quite as spicy as I would have liked.  But, I resisted adding more, and I placed the cooled soup in 6 different single serving containers and then refrigerated them.  The next day, I heated up 2 servings for The Captain and I to enjoy for lunch, and I noticed that the soup tasted much spicier than it had the day before... guess the cumin just needed a bit of time to do its magic!

It was wonderful!  The rest of the leftovers have been moved to the freezer for now, but it won't be long before they are used up and I will be making another batch!

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 3.
Calories 119 ; Protein 2g; Carbohydrate 22g; Fat 4g; Fibre 4g.

Add the cumin to the sauteed veggies...

 

and stir to coat them and let it cook a bit before adding the broth.

 

Cover and bring to boil, then let simmer for about 40 minutes.

 

Gently reheat before serving.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Printable Recipe

 

 

Are you a homemade soup fan?  What is your favorite kind?

 

Do you like coconut oil?



Prawn Curry on Avocado

I found this recipe in a local Thrifty Food supermarket flyer.  It appealed to me immediately because it calls for prawns and coconut milk.  I have made it several times, leaving out the avocados, and serving it with snow peas and linguini... it is very good, but today I had an avocado that was just ripe so I decided to make the recipe up as originally written, using just a bit less oil.

What a lovely surprise!  I served it with some leftover heated white/brown rice.  The sauce is just perfect with rice and it really does go nicely with the avocado!  It is a very mild curry sauce and tastes very rich because of the coconut milk.

This dish sort of goes hand in hand with the Butter Chicken recipe I posted several months ago.  That is because it uses up the other half of the can of light coconut milk I use in that recipe.... So, we usually have this for dinner within a night or two before, or after, we have the Butter Chicken.  And they are very different recipes so that is good.

It is much easier to pull everything together if you get all your ingredients prepared ahead of time, except for the avocado.  It will turn brown if you prepare it more than a couple of minutes ahead.  If you do choose to do that, sprinkle some lime juice over it.

Prawn Curry on Avocado

For 2 Servings

• 1 tsp canola oil
• 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
• 1 or 2 tsp chopped, fresh ginger 
• 1 tsp mild curry powder
• 200 ml (1/2 can) light coconut milk mixed with 1 tsp cornstarch 
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice 
• 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar 
•  approximately 200g total weight cooked prawns, tails removed (I use 32 of 71-90 count or 16  of 31-40 count)
• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 servings cooked rice as desired

1. Prepare 2 servings of rice and set aside to keep warm. 
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add the shallot, garlic and ginger and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Mix in the curry powder and cook 1 minute more.
5. Add the coconut milk/cornstarch mixture, lime juice and brown sugar.
6. Bring to a simmer and cook until the coconut milk is thickened by the cornstarch.
7. Add the prawns and simmer until just heated through, about 3 or 4 minutes.
8. While the prawns are heating quickly peel the avocado, and remove the pit.
9. Slice each half of the avocado into 4 and fan on the serving plate. 
10. Divide and serve the prawns and sauce over the avocados and rice.

Per serving, not including rice.
Weight Watchers P+ = 6. 
Calories 230; Protein 14g; Carbohydrate 14g; Fat 14g; Fibre 1g.

Shallot slices and garlic in the pan along with heated canola oil.

Add curry powder to pan.

Coconut milk is mixed with cornstarch, lime juice, and brown sugar, then  added to pan.

Add cooked prawns to thickening sauce.

Cook till prawns are heated through and sauce is thick.

Serve prawns and sauce over avocado slices and rice.

Enjoy!

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