Butter chicken curry

Butter chicken curry.

It might seem odd that after eating my fair share of spicy chili yesterday that I would want more spice.

But I had this sitting in the cupboard and I was dying to try it out.

I will admit to the fact that I find curries a bit intimidating to make. And my favorite curry, butter chicken, is usually made with so much butter that it ends up bothering my stomach.

This packet made the recipe very simple. Just combine the chicken, water, butter and spice paste in a soup pot and simmer. 

Yup, it was that easy.

The recipe called for 3 Tbsp of butter which would have been way to much for me so I reduced the amount by half and just added 1 1/2 Tbsp of butter.

The instructions said to turn the heat up to a boil (after 20 minutes of simmering) but I think that was just to reduce the liquid. If you like a more liquid curry you can just skip that step.

I loved the dark, rich color of the curry.

While the mouth feel of the curry was slightly less rich than the restaurant version because I added less butter, the flavor and heat was spot on.

Since this was not a dish the dogs could eat (too much spice), I made them a snack.

A piece of banana smeared with peanut butter.

And if you need some cooling off after all those spicy curry pictures, here is a shot of a dish my friend made which was wonderfully light and refreshing after eating all that chili.

Ripe peaches with soft, melted mozzarella on top.

My friend said that her brother served it drizzled with olive oil but we both agreed that this version was delicious.

And I will leave you with some cute shots of my friends dog:

How do you get a Border Collie to look at the camera?

You pick up his ball.

Breakfast of champions - if champions ate quinoa

I did pick up some new bedding during my shopping trip to Ikea.

And it is doggie approved :-)

Abby testing out the new sheets. Connor is there too but you can only see his butt.

As I was perusing the pantry this morning I spotted my jar of nutritional yeast.

So this morning's breakfast was comprised of the following ingredients:

1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1/4 cup of quinoa cooked in vegetable broth
4 florets of broccoli, chopped fine
a handful of spinach leaves torn into small pieces
1 button mushroom, chopped
1/4 of an onion
1 clove of garlic
2 egg whites

This turned out really delicious. And since I threw in the broccoli and spinach into the pot with the quinoa and let it all cook together it was super simple.

I did cook the garlic and onions in a skillet over low heat while the quinoa simmered. When the onions just started to caramelize, I tossed in the mushrooms, covered the pan and let it cook another 5 minutes.


I pulled the onions, garlic and mushrooms out of the pan and then added in the 2 egg whites. I let them cook on low until just set.

Oh, yes, and I stirred in 1 Tbsp. of nutritional yeast into the quinoa when it was done cooking. The nutritional yeast added a nice cheesy flavor that paired really well with the slightly sweet taste of the onions.

I thought this was a great breakfast that was packed with protein from both the quinoa and the egg whites. And I got a nice dose of greens as well. It was definitely a breakfast of champions :-)

I enjoyed my bowl of quinoa with a plump peach and a big mug of tea with soymilk.

I can't believe it is Monday already. Where did the weekend go?

Peaches and roasted red peppers

I was up early writing (3am to be exact) and I realized I haven't cooked anything for the dogs in quite a while.

My breakfast started with a roasted red bell pepper.

A roasted red pepper ready to be put into a Ziplock bag to steam.

One cup of quinoa went into a sauce pan with water for 20 minutes.

I enjoyed the quinoa with roasted red peppers and peaches.

I made another attempt at the nutritional yeast 'cheese' sauce which included:

Unsweetened soymilk
Nutritional yeast
Yellow mustard
Garlic powder
Tumeric
Earth balance butter spread
Lemon juice

No recipe yet because it still needs some tweaking.

And I added some pea sprouts on top.

The dogs enjoyed a melange of quinoa, Udo's oil, apricots, peaches, seasoned nori, a drizzle of the sauce and some chopped pea sprouts.

Yes, they ate up every little bit. In fact, Connor stood waiting for Abby to finish her portion so he could check for any crumbs.

Sadly, there were none :-)

Oatmeal risotto with peaches. Parmesan and sage

Yes, I know it shouldn't be called a risotto if it isn't made with rice.  But after you eat a bowl of this you won't mind a bit.

This dish turned out stunning. It had the perfect creamy texture of a classic risotto. And the combination of the nutty bite of the Parmesan along with sweet, caramelized peaches and the savory kick of the crispy sage? Wow!

The recipe started with one peach and some sage leaves.

I put 1/4 cup of steel cut oats in a sauce pan with 2 cups of water, a pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper and set it to simmer.

Then I melted a pat of butter in a skillet over medium low heat and added the chopped sage.

Cook the sage until it becomes very fragrant and begins to crisp (about 5 minutes). Add in the chopped peaches and let them cook until they begin to caramelize.

I was looking for more a grilled peaches taste in this dish - if I tossed them in with the oatmeal right away it would of been more of a peach soup.

The peaches nicely caramelized with crispy bits of sage.

I stirred in 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan into the oatmeal (I kept a little back to sprinkle on top at the end).

When the oatmeal is almost done (25 - 30 minutes), I added in the peaches and sage.  I let it cook for another 7 minutes until all of the flavors had a chance to combine.

Oatmeal Risotto

Serves 1

Ingredients:

2 cups of water
1/4 cup of steel cut oats
1 peach, pitted and chopped
4 sage leaves, chopped
1 pat of butter
1 pinch of salt
ground black pepper to taste

Instructions: 

Place the water, oats, pinch of salt and black pepper into a sauce pan and bring to a simmer.

Pit and chop one peach and finely chop 4 sage leaves.

Set a skillet on med-low heat and add in the pat of butter. When the butter has melted, add in the sage and allow to cook until fragrant and crisp.


Then add in the peaches and continue to cook until the peaches are slightly brown on both sides. When the peaches have caramelized take them off the heat and set aside.


When the oats have cooked for 20 minutes, add in most of the Parmesan and stir to combine.


When the oats have finished cooking (25 - 3- minutes) stir in the peaches and sage. If they oats begin to look dry add in a bit more water. You want a creamy consistency to the oats.


Cook another 7 minutes or so then take it off the heat. Ladle the oatmeal risotto into a serving bowl and top with the rest of the Parmesan.


Enjoy!