Thai Spicy Coconut Squash Curry

Ingredients:

2/3 cup organic coconut milk
1 tsp. salt
4 cups (about 1 small butternut squash), peeled and cubed (use a peeler to peel the squash, then cut it in half where the bulbous end meets the narrow end. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and cut into cubes.
3 tsp. sucanat
1/4 cup light gluten free soy sauce
4 deep fried red shallots (peel, slice into very thin slices lengthwise, and deep fry until golden on med/high heat in peanut oil. stir constantly and when they are deep gold, remove and drain on paper towels)


Curry Paste Ingredients:


4 red chilies, seeded and chopped fine. (less if you can't take the heat)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp finely chopped lemongrass
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp. tumeric powder
1 tsp. finely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped red shallots
1 bulb garlic, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp ground white pepper
1/4 cup water

note- this will make extra curry paste, you can store the rest for a few days in the fridge


Directions:

1. Make the curry paste. Place all of the curry ingredients in a blender and blend on high until a thick paste has formed and everything is fairly homogeneous. 3-4 minutes.

2. Deep fry the shallots, lay out on paper towel to cool and set aside.

3. Place the butternut squash cubes in a medium pan and cover with water. Bring to boil and turn down heat to medium and cook for another 6-9 minutes until the squash is tender. Take off heat and set aside.

4. In a medium saucepan, heat the coconut milk and 1/4 cup of the curry paste to boil over med/high heat, stirring constantly. Lower heat a bit so it doesn't burn and keep stirring. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce and sucanat and stir. Season with salt and return the cooked butternut squash to the coconut milk/curry mixture. Heat through.

5. Spoon into serving bowls, sprinkle with fried shallots and serve with rice.

Crispy oatmeal & cacoa nib cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose gluten free flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 sticks of butter (1/2 cup sticks), room temperature
1/4 cup Agave syrup
3/4 cup sucanat
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (wheat free -uncontaminated) rolled oats
1/4 cup organic cacoa nibs (raw chocolate)

Directions:

1. preheat oven to 350 °F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.

3. Using a paddle attachment on your mixer, at med low speed, beat the butter and the sucanat and agave syrup for a minute or two until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, beat again for half a minute. Add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Gradually add the oats and continue mixing on low until everything is combined well. Add the cacoa nibs and stir to combine.

4. Using your hands, make balls with slightly less than 2 Tbsp of dough and spread out on parchment leaving at least 2 1/2 inches between each cookie. Flatten slightly with your fingertips before baking for 11- 14 minutes. Bake only one cookie sheet at a time. When the cookies are flat and deep golden brown, remove from oven and cool the cookies while still on the cookie sheets at least 15 minutes before removing from cookie sheet. You will get about 8 cookies on each sheet for a total of 24 cookies. Cookies are crispy and not overly sweet.

This recipe was adapted from a cooks illustrated recipe. I have made mine gluten free, and limited the processed sugars. The cacoa nibs are a special addition and taste great in the cookie.

Cargamanto Cranberry Bean & Green Kale Stew

Vegetarian Tuscan Bean Stew
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Rancho Gordo Cargamanto Cranberry Beans
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
3 1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 cup onion, chopped coarse
1 cup carrots, chopped coarse
1 cup celery stalks, chopped coarse
1 Tbsp crushed garlic
2 1/2 cups gluten free vegetable broth
2 Bay leaves
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
6 loose cups kale, ends trimmed, hard stems removed and chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 sprig fresh rosemary
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste

Directions

1. Soak our beans over night (8 hours at least) in large container filled with water.

2. Rinse mushrooms quickly and then soak them in 1 cup of warm water for 30 minutes. remove the mushrooms and strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer, mince the mushrooms and set both aside for use later.


3. Preheat oven to 250° F. adjust rack to lower middle position.

4. Heat some olive oil in a large Dutch Oven over med. Add onion, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes (until vegetables are lightly browned and softened). Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the remaining water, bay leaves, soaked beans, mushrooms, vegetable broth and reserved mushroom water and stir. Increase heat to high and simmer stew for a few minutes. Cover the pot and transfer it to the preheated oven. Cook for an hour or until the beans are nearly tender (still firm inside). (if it is taking too long to cook, turn the heat up to 275 and check it every 15 minutes)

5. Take the pot out of the oven and add the tomatoes and the kale. Return to oven and cook for another 30 minutes to an hour (or until beans are fully tender).

6. Remove the pot from the oven and throw in the rosemary sprig, cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and rosemary sprig, salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm.

Meat & Seafood Internal Temperature Cooking Chart- illustrated

I got my illustration on tonight and made you this chart. Use a quality instant read thermometer to check the temperature of your meat and you should be able to cook it perfect!

Mulligatawny Soup

Adapted to be gluten free from another super Cooks Illustrated recipe.

Ingredients:

4 med. cloves garlic- 2 peeled and 2 finely minced
1 piece ginger, peeled & grated so that you have about 1 1/2 Tbsp.
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp. butter
2 med. onions, chopped medium coarse
1 tsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 1/2 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup Bobs Red Mill, all purpose gluten free flour
7 cups gluten free chicken broth (homemade is best)
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped coarse
1 rib celery, chopped course
1 banana, very ripe, peeled.
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
fresh plain goats yogurt (or cows yogurt)
fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Place the 2 peeled whole garlic cloves, 2 tsp. of grated ginger & water in a blender. Blend until smooth. Leave this mixture in the blender jar and set aside for the last step. (you will puree the soup right in the blender with the garlic and ginger)

2. Heat butter in a large stockpot over med. heat until foaming. Add the onions and tomato paste and cook, stirring often until the onions are soft and beginning to brown (about 5 minutes). Stir in the coconut and cook for about a minute. Add the minced garlic, remaining 2 1/2 tsp. ginger, curry powder, cumin, cayenne & gluten free flour; stir until evenly combined for around a minute. Whisking constantly & vigorously, slowly add the gluten free chicken broth.

3. Add the carrots, celery & whole banana. Increase heat and bring to a boil, add the chicken breasts to the pot. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for around 20 minutes (until chicken is cooked through). Remove the chicken breasts with tongs and set on a cutting board, cool slightly and cut into bite size pieces.

4. Puree the soup in small batches in the blender (with the garlic and ginger mixture still in the blender). Wash & dry the pot. Return all of the pureed soup to the freshly washed pot, salt and pepper to taste. Add the cut chicken pieces and heat the soup on low until warmed through. don't boil.

5. Ladle into bowls, dollop with yogurt and sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve with saffron rice.