Monthly Archives: September 2014

Pumpkin Curry With Chicken

Pumpkin curry is one of my favorite Thai dishes. Typically it is made with canned pumpkin and full-fat coconut milk, however this recipe uses light coconut milk, which has about one-third of the calories and fat than regular coconut milk. The curry is not as rich as it would be using regular coconut milk, but this dish is very flavorful and healthier. Fresh pumpkin is also used, since it is autumn and pumpkins are in season and this makes for a great warm dish for the cooling autumn evenings. I find this dish filling on its own though you can serve it with rice as it is done in Thai restaurants.

I used Kabocha squash also known as Japanese pumpkin for this recipe. Kabocha pumpkins are green on the outside and typically weigh about 3 pounds. They are popular for their strong yet sweet flavor and moist, fluffy texture. You can easily substitute the orange pumpkin varieties that you find around Halloween. This curry recipe calls for 4 cups of pumpkin, skinned and cut into about 1 inch pieces. I used about 2/3 of the 3.5 Kabocha squash.

The first step in making this curry is to sauté the chicken for a couple of minutes – about one minute on each side. The chicken will be only partially cooked, as it will finish cooking in the curry sauce. I do this as it keeps the chicken tender. One pound of chicken tenders are cut into pieces, about 1/3 each. You can buy whole boneless and skinless chicken breasts and cut them into pieces, if you prefer, but the tenders are pre-cut which makes it quick and easy.

After you remove the chicken from the pot, you’re now ready to make the curry. To the pot with the reserved oil, add the garlic and ginger and sauté for one minute, then add the light coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, turmeric, lemongrass, sugar, Kaffir lime leaves and the fish sauce (use a light colored fish sauce as it is better quality) and bring to a simmer.

Then add chicken stock and mix through. Add the pumpkin and chicken and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 4 minutes so the flavors mesh and the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the lemongrass pieces and Kaffir lime leaves from the pot and add the vegetables. This recipe calls for mushrooms, Bok Choy and red bell peppers, but you can use any vegetables you want. Cover the pot and simmer for 4 more minutes until the vegetables are cooked through. Add the juice of the lime and mix through. Serve with chopped cilantro to garnish, and rice if you want a more filling meal.

Pumpkin Curry With Chicken

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken tenders – cut tender into thirds

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 cups Kabocha squash or orange pumpkin, skin removed and cut into 1 inch pieces (3.5 lbs about 2/3 of)

1/2 tablespoon grated ginger

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 13.5 oz. can lite coconut milk

2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

3 tablespoons of good quality fish sauce (such as Nam Pla or other light colored fish sauce)

1 tablespoons brown sugar

2 lemongrass stalks cut into 2 inch pieces

3 Kaffir lime leaves

½ teaspoon turmeric

¾ cup of chicken broth (I use low sodium)

8 oz. of white or crimini mushrooms cut in half or quarters, depending on size

1 bunch of Bok Choy (about 1/2 lb) cut into one-inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut into one-inch pieces

Juice of one lime

4 tablespoons chopped cilantro to garnish

Serves 4

Heat oil in a pot on medium-high flame until hot. Add chicken and fry for 1 minute on each side and remove from pan. To the pot, add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute. Add coconut milk, Thai curry paste, turmeric, lemongrass, sugar, lime leaves and fish sauce to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the chicken stock and mix through. Add the squash to the pot along with the chicken and simmer covered for 4 minutes. Then remove lemongrass and lime leaves and add the mushrooms, Bok Choy and red pepper and cover simmer for 4 more minutes. Add the juice of the lime and mix through. Serve with chopped cilantro to garnish and rice if you want.

Cauliflower Pumpkin Masala

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This Indian-inspired vegetarian dish is hearty enough for a full meal. It’s easy to make and uses spices used in traditional Indian cooking. Garam Masala is a key ingredient along with additional Turmeric powder, which, along with the pumpkin, gives the dish a nice golden color. Sour cream is used as an accompaniment to balance the heat from the Cayenne pepper and add creaminess to the dish.

I used Kabocha squash also known as Japanese pumpkin for this recipe. They are popular for their strong yet sweet flavor and moist, fluffy texture. You can easily substitute butternut squash or orange pumpkin for the Kabocha squash. I made this recipe with the left over Kabocha squash from the Pumpkin Curry with Chicken recipe. Garbanzo beans round out the dish and adding to the heartiness of a full vegetarian meal.

To make this dish, sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger in the oil until the onion is soft. Add the cauliflower, pumpkin, garbanzo beans, Garam Masala, turmeric, Cayenne pepper and tomato paste and mix through. Add the chicken stock and mix through again. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for about 30-35 minutes, until the liquid has cooked down and the consistency resembles a thick stew. The Serve with sour cream and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Cauliflower Pumpkin Masala

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons EVOO

1 onion diced

2 garlic cloves grated

1 inch of ginger, grated

1 head cauliflower – cut into small pieces using the florets only

1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans

2 cups diced squash or pumpkin

1 tablespoon Turmeric

1 tablespoon Garam Masala

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon tomato paste

2 cups chicken stock (I use low sodium)

1 teaspoon kosher salt – plus more to taste

Sour cream to serve (about 1-2 tablespoons per serving)

Chopped cilantro (optional as a garnish)

In a Dutch oven on the stovetop sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger in the oil on medium heat until the onion is soft. Add the cauliflower, pumpkin, garbanzo beans, Garam Masala, turmeric, Cayenne pepper and tomato paste and mix through. Add the chicken stock and mix through again. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for about 30-35 minutes, until the until the liquid mostly absorbed and the consistency resembles a thick stew. Serve with sour cream and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serves 4

Artichoke Tapenade

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Here’s a quick and easy tapenade to make that’s great for snacking on as you watch Sunday football or to serve as an appetizer before dinner. Canned artichoke hearts are dressed with some red onion, garlic, lemon juice and zest, capers, Parmesan cheese and EVOO, plus some salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients in a food processor and process until fully blended and has a semi smooth consistency, then refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, so the flavors meld before serving.

Artichoke Tapenade

Ingredients:

1 can artichoke hearts

1/8 cup diced red onion

1 garlic cloves coarsely chopped

Zest of one lemon

1.5 tablespoons of lemon juice

½ teaspoon capers

1 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup EVOO plus 1/2 tablespoon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste if desired

Ground Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a food processor and process until fully blended and has a semi smooth consistency, then refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, so the flavors meld before serving.

Honey Glazed Stuffed Chicken Breasts

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These honey glazed stuffed chicken breasts make for a really nice presentation. The stuffing is gluten-free and dairy-free, and combines spinach with shallots and ground almonds and the sweetness of dried apricots and basil, making it a great dish to serve for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, when it is tradition to serve something sweet and fruity. The stuffing is inserted inside the chicken breast and underneath the skin, making for a nice chicken-to-stuffing ratio for almost every bite.

To make the stuffing, combine the almonds and basil in a processor and process until the almonds are pretty fine, with no big pieces. The basil and almonds will be mixed through thoroughly. Add the almond basil mixture to a non-stick frying pan.

Defrost and drain a box of frozen chopped spinach and squeeze the excess water out with paper towels. Add one cup, tightly packed spinach into the frying pan along with the chopped shallots, chopped dried apricots, 4 tablespoons of olive oil grated garlic clove and salt and pepper and sauté for 3 minutes.

To stuff the inside of the chicken breasts, find the pocket on the side of the joint. Use your fingers to separate it and make room for the stuffing. Using a tablespoon, spoon the stuffing into the pocket pushing down to make sure it extends all the way to the end of the breast. Then separate the skin from the breast and spoon the stuffing in between. Repeat with the remaining stuffing and chicken breasts ad place in an ovenproof dish.

Salt and pepper the skins of the chicken breasts and brush with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the wine and water to the pan, and place in preheated 375° oven and cook or 20 minutes. After 20 minutes of cooking, glaze the tops of the chicken breasts with the honey and continue cooking for another 40 minutes, the breasts will be browned on top and cooked through.

Honey Glazed Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almonds

1 cup basil leaves

1 cup tightly packed frozen chopped spinach defrosted, drained and squeezed dry

2 shallots minced

1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

5 tablespoons EVOO

1 garlic clove, grated

Salt pepper

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup Honey

Combine the almonds and basil in a food processor and process until the almonds are pretty fine, with no big pieces. Add the almond basil mixture to a non-stick frying pan.

Defrost and drain a box of frozen chopped spinach and squeeze the excess water out with paper towels until the spinach is dry. Tightly pack one cup of spinach and add to the frying pan along with the shallots. Chop the dried apricots into 1/8” pieces and add to frying pan along with 4 of the tablespoons of olive oil, the grated garlic clove, and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté for 3 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Stuff the inside of the chicken breasts, using the pocket by the joint, and place stuffing under the skin. Repeat with the remaining stuffing and chicken breasts and place in an ovenproof dish. Salt and pepper the skins of the chicken breasts and brush with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the wine and water to the pan, and place in oven. After 20 minutes of cooking, glaze the tops of the chicken breasts with the honey and continue cooking for another 40 minutes, the breasts will be browned on top and cooked through.

Serves 4

Beets, Figs and Fennel Salad

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I had never eaten a beet until I moved to California 18 years ago. Up until that point, beets were something you would see in every Jewish deli in Brooklyn. They were not necessarily presented as something very appetizing. My mother never made beets. And I never saw anyone I knew eat beets until I was around 10, when I saw my now brother-in-law, eat the beets at our favorite neighborhood deli. And I remember thinking…eeew.

Fast-forward nearly 30 years and I find myself in the fresh-from-the-farm food Mecca of San Francisco where beet salads are a staple on gourmet California-cuisine menus. Having met some foodie friends when I first moved here, I got the nerve to try beets and found that I really liked the earthiness flavor and hearty texture. The beautifully rich hues of purple-red and orange-yellow brighten up any bunch of greens.

There are many variations of beet salads. Some use red beets, others golden, some add cheese such as goat cheese or feta. I prefer this salad simple and golden, and I love the licorice-flavor of fennel and the sweetness of figs to balance the earthiness of the beets. The dressing for this salad is simple and combines the tanginess of orange juice and apple cider vinegar with the sweetness of honey.

To make this salad, first rinse and wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil and roast them in a baking pan in the oven for about an hour. When the beets are done and cool enough to handle, peel the skins using the side of a fork to scrape way the skin. Then slice the beets into half-inch pieces and add them to a bowl. Slice the fennel bulb in about 1/8 inch thickness and add them to the beets. The fennel will separate into pieces, but that is okay. Combine all ingredients for the dressing and pour over the beets and fennel, and refrigerate until the beets are cool – about an hour and a half.

When the beets are chilled, take out of the refrigerator and slice the figs into quarters and add to the bowl with the beets and mix the dressing through. Place the watercress on the platter and spoon the bets, figs and fennel over the watercress and drizzle the remaining dressing on top.

Beets, Figs and Fennel Salad

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs golden beets

1/2 lb black figs – quartered

2 cups sliced Fennel sliced into 1 inch pieces – about a bulb

2 bunches of watercress

Dressing:

1/4 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoons EVOO

1 teaspoon honey – golden blossom

Salt and pepper

Wrap beets in foul bake at 400 for 40-60 minutes depending on size of beets. Until a knife goes through the beet with ease.

Using the side tong of a fork, scrape away the outer skin of the beets. Then slice into pieces about 1 inch size add to bowl. Slice the fennel and add to the bowl with the beets. Then mix all ingredients of the dressing and pour over the beets and fennel and refrigerate until beets are cool – about an hour and a half.

When ready to serve, cut figs into quarters and add them to the beets and fennel and mix through to cover with the dressing. Place watercress on bottom of platter or bowl, and spoon the beets, figs and fennel over the greens. Drizzle remaining dressing on top and serve.

Serves 4-6 people

Short Rib-Turkey Chili

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In the beginning of June, I received an email from Miner Family Winery about a chili cook-off. Since I was about one year into my blog and creating recipes each month, I thought I would challenge myself and give the competition a try. I had never entered a competition like this before. The only requirements were that the recipe had to be submitted by a specific date and the recipe had to use one of Miner’s wines. I love chili and I love spice, but I did not have an old standby chili recipe and I had never made chili with wine before.

So after some thought into what would make for a good chili made with wine, I decided on short ribs and ground turkey. Yes, this recipe definitely falls into the “naughty” category, as short ribs and healthy don’t kind of mix… but short ribs do make for a very tasty chili. I used Miner’s Odyssey wine in this chili; it’s a Rhone style red wine. It worked really well with the short ribs. Well enough to win third place in the cook-off! The prize was a magnum of Miner’s Rosato wine.

This “award-winning” chili is made with a variety of chilies: jalapeños, California chili powder, cayenne chili powder, paprika. The jalapeños and cayenne provide a really good amount of heat. Dried California entero peppers are also added, rounding out the chilies and the dish. These peppers do not provide much heat, but they add a lot of body to the chili. Whole pods are cooked in the chili and then halfway through the cooking stage, the peppers (minus the stems) are puréed with some cooking liquid and then added back to the chili pot and mixed through. I use 2 big peppers or 3 small peppers for this recipe. If you cannot get the dried California entero pepper pods, you may substitute them with Guaijillo chilies, which are a bit spicier so you may need to watch the heat. You can also buy California entero chilies online.

English-cut short ribs are used for this recipe. The meat is diced into 1/8 pieces prior to cooking to This helps the short rib meat blend with the ground turkey so that each bit has both types of meat. To prepare the short ribs, trim the fat and slice the meat off the bones. Then dice the short rib meat into about 1/8″ pieces. Reserve the bones, as they will be added to the pot to flavor the chili.

Taking the up front in browning and belying if the short ribs, turkey and peppers and onions will help keep the chili consistent and balanced with turkey and short ribs in each bite. Add the short rib pieces to the heavy pot and sauté for 2 minutes over medium heat, until meat is brown. Add the green bell pepper, jalapeños, and onions to the pot and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the spices and mix through thoroughly and sauté for 2 more minutes. Then, add the ground turkey and mix through thoroughly breaking up the turkey so that they turkey combines with the rib pieces and the onion and peppers. Sauté for another 5-7 minutes until the turkey is browned. Then add the wine, coffee and tomato sauce and mix through add the dried California entero peppers and add the short torn bones and submerge I to the liquid. Cover pot and simmer, mixing though occasionally.

After about an hour and a half, discard the short rib bones, and take the California entero peppers out of the pot, discard the stems (note, the stems may have separated form cooking so you may have to dig for them in the pot), and place the peppers with about a cup to a cup and a half of cooking liquid to a blender and purée. Add the purée back into the pot and mix through. Then add the masa harina (a finely ground corn flour used in authentic Mexican dishes), mixed with warm water, and the cocoa powder to the pot and mix through, cover and simmer for another hour and a quarter to an hour and a half. To serve, garnish with sour cream, which balances the richness of the short ribs really well and tempers the heat.Short Rib-Turkey Chili with Dried California Entero Chilies

Ingredients:

2 lbs English cut short ribs

2 lbs ground turkey – dark meat

1.5 tablespoons cumin

1.5 tablespoons dried California chili powder

1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon paprika

2 large jalapeños (or 3-4 small), stem removed and diced with seeds

1 onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 ¾ cups Rhone style wine

2 8 oz cans tomato sauce

1/2 cup brewed coffee

2 dried California entero chilies (or 3 small ones)

1 cup water with 3 tablespoons masa harina

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

1 15oz can of pinto beans, less sodium

Trim top layer of fat off of short ribs and slice the meat of the bones and dice the meat into very small pieces – about 1/8” in size. Reserve bones, to add when cooking the chili. Combine cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, paprika in a bowl and set aside. Add short rib meat to a Dutch oven on medium-high heat and sauté 2 minutes, until meat is browned. Add the diced onion, green bell pepper and jalapeno peppers to the pot, mix through and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the spice mixture and mix through and sauté 2 more minutes. Add ground turkey and mix though thoroughly so that the turkey and short rib combine with the onions and peppers in small pieces. Mixing thoroughly for about 5-7 minutes until al the turkey is browned. Then, add the wine, coffee and tomato sauce, and mix through. Add the California entero peppers and the bones from the ribs and submerge the peppers and bones into the liquid. Cover and cook on a simmer for 1.25-1.5 hours.

Take out the California entero chilies from the pot, discard the stems and place the peppers with about 1 -1 ½ cups of cooking liquid into a blender and puree. Add pureed mixture back to pot and mix through. Add 3 tablespoons of masa harina to one cup of warm water mix until combined and smooth, then add to the pot along with 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder and the beans, and mix everything through. Cover and simmer for another 75-90 minutes. Serve with sour cream on the side.

Makes about 10 cups, serving 6-10

Hellbent Living

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Monthly Archives: September 2014

Pumpkin Curry With Chicken

Cauliflower Pumpkin Masala

Artichoke Tapenade

Honey Glazed Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Beets, Figs and Fennel Salad

Short Rib-Turkey Chili