Friendly Food Snobs

butter chicken with coconut milk

easy butter chickeneasy butter chickenButter chicken tops my list of comfort foods. I had a fierce craving the other day and  crafted this easy homemade version instead of ordering in. This curry was simple to make and amazing to eat. I used a can of coconut milk, instead of the traditional whipping cream and love it all the more for being healthier. The little knob of butter at the end makes the recipe just the slightest bit better. The sauce a bit glossier. A little bit of butter goes a long way. I froze a few containers for busy weeknights and it was perfection. Makes 6 servings.

butter chicken with coconut milk

Ingredients:
2 small cooking onions chopped
2 inch knob of ginger peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 heaping tbsp good quality yellow curry powder
1 heaping tsp cumin
pinch red pepper flakes
1 can of diced tomatoes (400ml)
1 can coconut milk (400ml)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized chunks (or 8 boneless chicken thighs)
1 tbsp butter
olive oil
salt and pepper
fresh cilantro for topping

Coat the bottom of a large pot generously with olive oil. Sauté onion on medium heat until fragrant with salt and pepper to taste, approximately 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add a touch more oil if needed. Using a wooden spoon stir the curry powder, cumin and chili flakes into the pot. The goal here is to create an aromatic curry paste. Add a small splash of water if needed. Cook for two more minutes reducing the heat slightly. (Should smell pretty amazing by now.)

Add the chopped chicken to the pot and coat in curry paste. Pour in tomatoes. Using the wooden spoon again scrape the bottom of the pot to incorporate any bits that are sticking. The acidity of the tomatoes helps here. Add can of coconut milk. Let simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes, stirring once or twice. Taste test for salt and pepper. Stir in butter. At this point I let the curry rest on the stove for about an hour to cool and thicken and for the flavours to mingle. Serve over rice or quinoa and sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro.

flank steak tostadas

flank steak tostados
I love Mexican food. Tostadas are one of my favourite dishes to order in Mexican restaurants so I thought it time to create it at home. Since figuring out the recipe, I think I’ve made this at least four times this winter already!

Serve with soft corn or wheat tortillas, or lettuce wraps or with rice/quinoa. Flank steak is a reasonably priced cut of beef at most butchers and using the slow cooker makes it juicy, tender and fall apart.

Recipes makes 6 servings.

flank steak tostadas

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 – 2 lbs flank steak
  • 2 cooking onions cut into thin slices
  • 2 red bell peppers cut into strips
  • 1 tbsp cumin                                                                                                                                                           
  • 1/2 tsp chipotle powder or chili powder                                                                                                                     
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 6 dashes hot sauce
  • salt and pepper

Serve with:
Cilantro, crumbled feta cheese, salsa, lime slices, avocado

Cut flank steak into large chunks. Should be roughly the size of a hockey puck. This makes it easier to shred after cooking. Slice onions and peppers into strips. Combine spices in a small bowl.

Coat bottom and sides of slow cooker generously with olive oil. Layer the onions on the bottom and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top the onions with the flank steak pieces and sprinkle with spice mixture and hot sauce. Layer the red peppers on top of the flank steak.

The moisture from all that veg makes the meat juicy and I serve the cooked onions and peppers with the meat too. Cook in slow cooker for four hours on high. Let cool slightly and shred with two forks. Be sure to let the meat  sit in remaining liquid in slow cooker for a few minutes too after shredding. 

This freezes well for meal prep.  I add a few spoonfuls of the remaining liquid to keep the meat juicy and moist.

slow cooker steel cut oats + musings about motherhood

slow cooker steel cut oatsEight months into motherhood and what have I learned? Be okay with unfinished. Nothing is going to be perfect. Ride the wave. And if I am still wiped? My mom taught me to quietly whisper to myself “this too shall pass”. And it’s so true. The weeks and months swim by and old challenges become new triumphs. It’s still dark in the mornings when we wake here in Toronto. Neil is running out the door after an early morning play session with Oscar and I am still nursing in the night so knowing that breakfast is made makes the day feel great. This recipe has been saving us of late. Steel cut oats are a commitment, as they take much longer to cook than oats but they are packed with protein and keep you feeling full longer.  I put a batch in the slow cooker Sunday afternoon. It’s foolproof and ready in 2 hours with minimal effort. I store in a container in the fridge and we have breakfast for a few days.

Slow cooker steel cut oats

Ingredients:
1 cup steel cut oats
pinch sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
4 cups water
1 tbsp coconut oil

Coat inside of the slow cooker generously with coconut oil. Leaving any leftover chunks in there. Combine remaining ingredients and cook on high for 2 hours, stirring once, or on low for 6 hours. Top and enjoy with more cinnamon, milk, banana slices, almond butter, raisins, dates, walnuts, maple syrup, goji berries, anything you have on hand. Recipe makes four servings and keeps well in the fridge for about a week. Wishing you happy mornings!

balsamic chicken salad

balsamic chicken salad

It’s almost Christmas! The house abounds with cookies, chocolate, wine and treats. Time for a mini detox and lots of salads and greens leading up to Christmas Day and New Year’s. Whipped up this salad today and the chicken and roasted peppers are really the stars. The recipe for the roasted peppers can be found on my blog here. The balsamic glaze at the end really makes the dish. You can find it at any grocery store or specialty food shop. I add it to salads or over cheese on a cheese board. If you have time on your hands here is a great recipe for how to make it at home from the Pioneer Woman. I have also added toasted pine nuts and asiago or parmesean cheese to this salad to fancy it up for guests too. Recipe below serves two.

balsamic chicken salad

2 big handfuls salad greens
2 roasted peppers (hint: recipe here)
2 chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
herbamare (can be found here)
olive oil
half of a lemon
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
balsamic glaze for drizzling on plate

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Coat chicken breasts with a little olive oil and season each side with salt, pepper and herbamare. Roast in oven (I use my cast iron pan) 10 to 15 minutes a side until browned. Pour the balsamic vinegar over the chicken when you flip it halfway during cooking. Remove chicken from oven to cutting board and let cool. Divide greens onto two plates. Dress the greens with a tiny drizzle of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon. Top with roasted pepper pieces. Slice the chicken and add to salad plates. Drizzle balsamic glaze over the chicken and dig in!

crispy flattened chicken + moroccan spices

flattened chicken
Almost ten years ago I backpacked through Morocco with my best, Laura and this week I was craving something warming and exotic. This crispy chicken takes only 45 minutes to roast in the oven, thanks to being flattened. The spice rub is sweet and savory and reminds me of all the tagine meals we devoured with our twenty-something-wonder in North Africa. As I get ready to start feeding our baby boy something other than milk this winter, I get excited at the journey I will get to show him through food in the years to come. Um, perhaps I will start with some sweet potato or mashed avocado first! Enjoy this chicken dish, one of the best parts is the crispy skin. I love to pair it with a simple green salad or cous cous or quinoa with lots of tomatoes and cucumbers and mint. Preserved lemons on the side are lovely too, but not at all necessary.

crispy flattened chicken + moroccan spices

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
1 heaping tsp each of the following:
cumin
garlic powder
paprika
cinnamon
brown sugar
In addition to:
pinch red pepper flakes
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
generous drizzle olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine spices in a small bowl. Using kitchen scissors or a pointed serrated knife slice top of chicken (breasts) in half and flatten the chicken. This saves so much cooking time. Pat the chicken dry with paper towel. Using your hands rub the spices over both sides of the chicken and even under the skin if you can manage. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in a cast iron pan for 45 minutes or until crispy and brown. Let rest a few minutes before diving in. The skin is amazing and so crispy and chicken always moist from the quick cooking time. Enjoy!

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