I thought today’s quote by Laurie Colwin was fitting: “No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks’ past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers.” I thought that was a lovely sentiment and it’s true. I have cookbooks I’ve inherited from my family and ones that I’m eager to share with my kids and grandkids when they’re ready to take on the mantle of family chef.
In case you missed it, I offer a few cookbooks here on Kathey Jo’s Kitchen: Best of Baking, Breakfast Classics, Great Meats, Soups, Salads and Sauces, and the Cookie Book. You’ll find some of my family’s favorite recipes and some new ones that are exclusive for fans of my blog. Right now, I’m running a sale to special visitors of my site. If you like what you see, leave me a review and share the blog with your family and friends. I know they’ll enjoy what I have to offer.
Today I have some cool weather treats for you to try out for yourselves. Let me know if you tried them!
Yellow Chickpea Pumpkin Curry with Coconut Brown Rice
INGREDIENTS
To make the brown rice:
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 2 ¼ cups water
To make the curry:
- ½ tablespoon coconut oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 bunch green onions, diced
- 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
- 2 cups cubed fresh pumpkin or butternut squash
- 1 small head cauliflower, broken into florets (3-4 cups)
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more if you like it a little spicy
- 1 (15 ounce) can lite coconut milk
- 1 cup vegetarian broth
- 2 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup frozen peas
To garnish: cilantro and chopped peanuts
DIRECTIONS
- Add one cup of brown rice to a pan along with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil. Toast rice over medium heat for 1 minute until fragrant. Next and 2 1/4 cups of water to a pot; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, remove pan from heat and allow rice to sit in pot with lid on for 10 minutes.
- Place a large pot over medium high heat. Add in coconut oil, garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds, then add in green onion, carrot, cauliflower florets and cubed pumpkin. Saute for about 5 minutes until cauliflower and pumpkin begin to soften a bit.
- Next, add in curry powder, turmeric and cayenne; cook spices for 30 seconds before adding in coconut milk, broth, peanut butter, soy sauce/coconut aminos and salt and pepper; stir well to combine. Allow to cook 5 minutes more, then stir in bell pepper and chickpeas; simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
- Before serving, stir in frozen peas and simmer an additional minute, then taste, and adjust seasonings as necessary.
- Optional: Garnish with cilantro and chopped peanuts.
Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole
INGREDIENTS
- 10 ounces dry pasta shells (or use rotini, fusilli, or whatever pasta you’d like)
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 white onion, diced
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour (or whole wheat flour or all purpose gluten free flour)
- 1 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or cashew milk or regular milk)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 (5 ounce) cans tuna, drained
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the topping:
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, gluten free if desired
- 1 tablespoon butter
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Spray a 2-quart baking dish or 9×9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, or grease with olive oil or butter.
- First boil the noodles until al dente, according to the directions on the package. Once done cooking, drain and set aside.
- Cook your mushrooms: Place a large pot over medium-high heat and add in 1 tablespoon butter. Once butter melts, add in the mushrooms, onions, thyme and salt and pepper. Stir occasionally until mushrooms and onions are cooked down about 4-6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- In the same skillet you cooked mushrooms, add in 2 tablespoons of butter and place over medium heat. Once butter is melted, whisk in a little bit of the flour and then slowly add in milk, a little bit at a time, alternating with the flour and vigorously whisking away any lumps. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes stirring every so often, until the sauce thickens up. If it gets too thick, add in ¼ cup more milk.
- Once thick, turn off the heat and stir in garlic powder, parmesan cheese, salt and LOTS of freshly ground black pepper.
- Stir in cooked noodles, mushroom and onion mixture, drained tuna and peas. Season again with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour mixture into your prepared baking pan.
- In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs with melted butter. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture on top of casserole and bake for 20-30 minutes.
