Thai Kabocha Squash Curry (Vegan)

Here you see Thai Kabocha Squash Curry served with brown rice. 
Also pictured is a bowl of fresh plums with
Homemade Instant Pot Cashew Yogurt and Lemon Poppy Seed Granola. 

Recipe from Rainbow Plant Life (Nisha Vora)

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 6

Kabocha squashes are turning up at the grocery stores and I couldn’t help myself, even though it’s still summery outdoors.  But what a treat this was!  Good enough for company, as I like to say.  This was full of flavor and definitely comforting, so perfect for autumn/winter time.  And, it freezes well.  Rainbow Plant Life comes through again.  All of the recipes I’ve tried from Nisha’s YouTube channel/blog have been excellent.

Ingredients

1 medium kabocha squash

½ -1 cup water (or vegetable broth)

1-1½ Tablespoons coconut oil* (or oil of choice)

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

Kosher salt or sea salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

4 cloves garlic, minced

2- inch piece ginger, grated or finely minced

1-2 Thai bird’s eye chili peppers, thinly sliced* (optional)

¼ cup red curry paste (use less to make it less spicy) (I used 1/8 cup.)

1 (13.5 ounce) can “lite” or reduced-fat coconut milk (I used full fat coconut milk because that’s what I had on hand.)

1 Tablespoon maple syrup, agave nectar, or coconut sugar

1 Tablespoon reduced sodium tamari** (gluten-free soy sauce)

1 Tablespoon white or yellow miso paste*** (optional but recommended)

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas (rinsed and drained) or about 3 cups cooked chickpeas

1-2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

For serving: white or brown rice or grains of choice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Use a large, sharp knife to slice the kabocha squash in half. Once sliced in half, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Lightly brush each squash half with a bit of oil (coconut oil or avocado oil) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place the squash halves, flesh side down, on the sheet pan. Roast for 40-45 minutes until the flesh is very tender. If your squash is large, bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Once it’s cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of the skin, and discard the skin. Place the kabocha squash flesh in a blender and add ½ cup water (or vegetable broth) and puree until very smooth. You should end up with approximately 3 cups of liquid. (I added 1 cup of veggie broth to make it less thick.)

While the kabocha squash is roasting, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Chop the onions, carrots, garlic, ginger, and chile peppers, and measure out the spices and other ingredients.

Heat a Dutch oven or a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil, and once it’s shimmering, add the onions and carrots along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables for 7-8 min, or until they are very tender and lightly browned.

Add the garlic, ginger, chile peppers (if using) and the red curry paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables in the aromatics. If you aren’t using a nonstick skillet, you may need to add a tablespoon of water to prevent the mixture from drying out and burning.

Pour the pureed kabocha squash sauce into the pan, then add the lite coconut milk, tamari, miso paste (if using), maple syrup, and turmeric, and black pepper to taste. Stir or whisk until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Add the canned chickpeas and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the curry has become thick and creamy, and the veggies are fully softened.

When ready to serve, stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Serve with white rice or grains of choice.

Notes

*If you are sensitive to spicy food, omit the chile peppers. Alternatively, you can use a less spicy pepper, such as a jalapeño pepper.

**Tamari is gluten-free but soy sauce is not, so if you use soy sauce, just keep in mind that the recipe won’t be gluten-free.

***The miso paste adds a deep, complex umami flavor. If you don’t have any, you’ll want to add a bit of salt at this stage.

****331 Calories per serving

Slow Cooker Peanut Chicken

Yield: 6-8 servings

Recipe from The Healthy Slow Cooker by Judith Finlayson

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Make this comfort food dish in your slow cooker on the weekend for a satisfying family meal.  Serve it over Brown Rice and have a fresh piece of fruit as dessert for an especially healthful and tasty dinner.

1 Tablespoon olive oil or extra-virgin coconut oil

2 onions, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and diced

4 stalks celery, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon minced ginger root

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock (You can also use Homemade Vegetable Broth*)

3 lbs. skinless chicken thighs (boneless or bone-in)

3 Tablespoons natural peanut butter

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 Tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste

½ cup coconut milk

2 cups sweet green peas, thawed if frozen

1 red bell pepper, diced

¼ cup chopped roasted unsalted peanuts

½ cup finely chopped cilantro

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat for 30 seconds.  Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until the carrots are softened, about 7 minutes.  Add the garlic, ginger root, and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add the stock and bring to a boil.
2. Arrange the chicken over the bottom of a slow cooker.*  Add the vegetable mixture.  Cover and cook on Low for 5 hours or on High for 2½ hours, until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork. Use a couple of forks to shred the chicken into bite-size pieces.
3. In a bowl, combine the peanut butter, lemon juice, soy sauce and red curry paste.  Mix well.  Add to the slow cooker and stir well. 
4. Add the coconut milk, peas, and red pepper and stir well. Cover and cook on High for 20 minutes, until peppers are tender and the mixture is hot.  Garnish with peanuts and cilantro and serve over brown rice.

Notes: 

      *You can save money by putting the vegetable trimmings in a small pot.  Cover the trimmings with water.  Add a couple of whole peppercorns, a few dried mushrooms and any fresh herb scraps you may have.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat and simmer for about ½ hour or so.  Strain out the solids.  You should have enough vegetable broth for this recipe plus enough to make flavorful brown rice.
**This recipe works in slow cookers from 3½ to 6 quarts.
This dish can be partially prepared before it is cooked.  Complete Step 1.  Cover and chill overnight or up to 2 days.  You can also prepare the peanut butter sauce in advance.  When you are ready to cook, continue with the recipe.
When making this dish, using extra virgin coconut oil to soften the onions adds a depth of coconut flavor to the sauce and nutrients to you diet.
 

Nutrients Per Serving:  334 calories; 33 g protein; 14.7 g carbohydrates; Fat 16.2 g (total); 5.3 g saturated fat; 6.0 g monounsaturated fat; 3.3 f polyunsaturated fat; dietary fiber 3.6 g; sodium 471 mg; cholesterol 114 mg; excellent source of vitamins A, C, B6, and K; good source of folacin, potassium and iron

Spicy Gingered Asian Slaw

Recipe from Theresa Drerup-Ofer and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 4-6

Several years ago, Jim and I visited our good friends, Theresa and Kurt, at their beautiful upstate New York home.  Theresa made this delicious slaw for our dinner one evening.  We was so taken with it, I asked her for the recipe.  There is a lot of chopping involved, but you won't be sorry.  This salad is FABULOUS and totally worth the effort.  Serve it for a special dinner with friends. It's especially tasty along side salmon.  The dressing and salad can be prepped in advance and chilled separately. Dress the salad about 10 minutes before serving.  All of the ingredients can be purchased at Lost River Market & Deli.

Dressing:

¼ cup fresh lime juice

¼ cup minced shallots

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 ½ Tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1 Tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 Tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste

1 Tablespoon dark sesame oil

½ cup peanut oil

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Salad:

5 cups finely sliced Napa cabbage (Chinese cabbage)

1 ½ cup julienned or shredded carrots

1 large red pepper, thinly sliced

1 large yellow pepper, thinly sliced

½ cup scallions, sliced (I've made this salad with and without scallions.)

¼ cup chopped cilantro

2 Tablespoons unsalted skinless roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted*

Blend dressing ingredients well.  About 10 minutes before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss.  Allow the salad to absorb the dressing for the 10 minutes, and then serve.

*To toast sesame seeds, place seeds in a dry skillet and put over medium heat.  Watch carefully and stir occasionally until the seeds are toasted. 

Drizzle salmon fillets with peanut oil.  Sprinkle with Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper.
Place under the broiler.  When almost done, spread some sweet chili sauce over the fillets.
Return salmon to the broiler to finish.  Serve along side the slaw.  Wonderful, wonderful!!

Mixed Vegetables in Spicy Peanut Sauce (Vegetarian & Vegan Friendly)

Recipe from Healthy Slow Cooker by Judith Finlayson and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 8 servings.

Here's something healthy to eat in between all of the holiday feasts. If you use a food processor to prep the veggies, this is a snap to make. Jim really liked this dish and we had enough to eat as a healthy lunch for a few days.

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
6 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
4 stalks celery, diced
2 Tablespoons minced gingerroot
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
½ teaspoon pepper
1 cup vegetable broth
3 cups frozen green beans
½ cup smooth peanut butter
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoon Thai red curry paste (or more if you like things with a bit more heat)
4 cups shredded Napa cabbage (Chinese cabbage) (This was about ¼ of a head of Napa cabbage.)
2 cups broccoli florets, cooked until crisp tender (a couple of minutes in the microwave will do)
2 cups bean sprouts (optional) (If using canned sprouts be sure to rinse and drain them well.)
½ cup finely chopped scallions (green onions)
½ cup chopped dry roasted peanuts

(To save time, prep the onions, celery and carrots in a food processor. Use ginger and garlic from a jar.)
In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onions, carrots and celery and cook until softened. Add gingerroot, garlic and pepper. Cook about 1 minute. Transfer to slow cooker. Add vegetable stock and stir. Add frozen green beans to slow cooker. (This part can be done and then chilled up to 2 days in advance.)

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.

In a bowl, beat together peanut butter, soy sauce, lemon juice, maple syrup and red curry paste until blended. (This can be made in advance and chilled until ready to use. Heat it in the microwave until it can be easily stirred.) Add sauce to slow cooker and stir well.

Add the cabbage and broccoli in batches, stirring until each batch is submerged in liquid. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, until heated through. Stir in bean sprouts, if using. Garnish each serving with scallions and peanuts. Serve this over brown rice.

Per serving--
Calories: 253
Protein: 9.8 grams
Carbohydrates: 24.1 grams
Fiber: 6.2 grams
Cholesterol: 0 mg.