Moroccan Style Chicken Stew

We tried this recipe last week and were surprised by how good it was. Trust me, the cinnamon and squash sound weird, but they are really good. And it's perfect for a cold day.

1 lb chicken cut into pieces
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 T olive oil
1 onion sliced
2 garlic cloves minced (less for Sonia's family)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 c chicken broth
12 oz frozen squash puree
1 c frozen corn

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Saute until cooked through. Add onion, garlic, cumin and cinnamon. Cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add broth, squash, corn. Cook, stirring until corn is tender and sauce is heated through - about 5 minutes.

Is everyone in for January?

I have we're up to 7 total, which means 6 to share...

January - Manicotti

6 c cottage cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 c shredded mozzarella
1 c shredded Parmesan
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper


Mix everything above in a large bowl, stuff filling into manicotti shells.

2 8oz boxes manicotti, uncooked
12 c tomato pasta sauce


Spread 1/2 c sauce in the bottom of each baking dish, divide remaining red sauce evenly over the four dishes of manicotti. Place 6 or 7 manicotti in each of the 4 8in square baking dishes. Wrap each dish entirely in plastic wrap, top with foil, label, and freeze.

To Cook:
Thaw or bake it straight from the freezer.
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Remove plastic wrap and foil, replace foil. Bake for 45 min if thawed, 1 hour if frozen.  Remove foil and continue baking until the noodles are tender.

This recipe makes 4 entrees of 4 servings each.

Goulash - December meal

GOULASH (6 servings)

3/4-1 lb ground beef or turkey (I used beef this time:)

1 stalk of celery chopped (I am not a huge fan of lots of celery for this BUT if you are use ~1 1/2 c)

1/2-1 large bell pepper (I use what is available-red, yellow, green- green is the strongest in flavor)

1 large onion chopped

1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes (chopped up) - undrained*

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes - undrained*

1 can condensed tomato soup

1 tsp dried basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp paprika

8 oz pasta - (I put 12 oz of pasta in dinner since the box says that is what is 6 servings and the sauce bag is for 6 servings although I think it could probably be for 8 pasta size servings- easily.)

-Cook ground meat, celery, onions, bell pepper, paprika, pepper and salt until meat is brown ~10 minutes, stir frequently.

-Drain off fat.

-Add tomatoes, soup and basil.

-Cook pasta (I use anything fun- shells, penne, rotini, elbow.)

-Mix sauce and pasta.

*I use any combination of diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, or even pasta sauce in the equivalent size (total of 28-30 oz). This is a great recipe if you have leftover pasta sauce and want to change things up a bit! I omit the basil if I use pasta sauce since I use basil in my pasta sauce.

Sour Chick Peas (Khatte Chhole)

From “Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking”

Khatte chhole is sold by street vendors in Delhi and the author was trying to reproduce it with this recipe. It’s best with basmati rice but you could use whatever you have on hand.

10-11 oz onions, peeled and very finely chopped. Divided

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon peeled, very finely grated fresh ginger

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

     Put 2 Tablespoons of the chopped onions, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, ginger and lemon juice into a teacup. Mix well and set aside.

4 Tablespoons vegetable oil

8 oz tomatoes, finely chopped

     Put oil in a heavy, wide casserole-type pan and set over medium high heat. When hot, put in the remaining chopped onions. Stir and fry for 8-10 minutes or until the onion bits develop reddish-brown spots. Add the tomatoes. Continue to stir and fry for another 5-6 minutes, mashing the tomato pieces with the back of your spoon.

1 Tablespoon ground coriander

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 (14.5 oz) cans Chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved

2 teaspoons garam masala

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I left this out for dinner exchange)

      Put in the coriander, cumin and turmeric. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds. Now put in drained chickpeas, 14 fl oz of liquid (use the liquid from the can and add water to make 14 fl oz), and remaining 2 teaspoons of salt, garam masala and cayenne.

      Stir to mix and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low and cook very gently for 20 minutes. Stir a few times during this period. Add the mixture in the teacup. Serve hot or lukewarm.

Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos

I modified this recipe by using two cans of fat free refried beans instead of the kidney beans and just a touch of water, to make it easier to stir. 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups canned kidney beans, drained
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 4 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
• 12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
• 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. Gradually stir in water, and heat until warm. Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce.
3. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style, and place on a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve.

** Or make the burritos but then freeze individually. When ready to eat, remove from freezer and either microwave or bake. If you bake, you can brush the burritos with oil and they'll get crispy.