Friday’s Hot Tip: Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

Confession: I tend to make the same dishes over and over again, especially in my slow cooker. It’s usually chili, a bean dish, or I’m cooking dried beans so I can freeze them for later use.

While I have a slow cooker cookbook full of some very tasty recipes, I’d seen several recipes online for Indian dishes. Where I grew up I became friends with a lot of Indian kids, so I’d go to parties and other gatherings where the tables were covered in all different kinds of curry, dahl and other dishes full of potatoes, cream, meat, vegetables. Years ago, Momcat and I appealed to one Indian friend’s mom for a small quantity of her family’s special curry powder blend, because store-bought curry powder just doesn’t cut it.

A few weeks ago we were due for a big storm in NorCal, and I decided the cold, wet weather made it the perfect time to try one of the Indian slow cooker entrees. I looked at a couple recipes for chicken tikka masala to get ideas for ingredients, and came up with a chicken curry that turned out rich and flavorful, just like the curries at my friends’ houses back in the day.

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

  • 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized chunks
  • 6 ounces plain Greek yogurt (optional marinade)
  • 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • ⅔ C yellow onion, diced
  • ⅔ C red onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-inch fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
  • 2 T tomato paste
  • 2 T curry powder, divided
  • 1 t brown sugar
  • 1 t ground cinnamon
  • 2 t kosher salt
  • Fresh cilantro (optional)
  • 6 ounces plain Greek yogurt

Optional: The night before you make the curry, coat the chicken pieces in 6 ounces of plain Greek yogurt – I used a large Ziploc bag – and refrigerate overnight. This yogurt marinade makes the chicken extra moist and flavorful.

Put chicken and tomatoes in slow cooker. Saute onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste and 1 tablespoon curry powder in a small amount of vegetable oil until soft, then add to slow cooker and mix well with chicken and tomatoes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon curry powder, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, stirring to combine. Cover and set cooker to High for 4 hours, or Low for 7-8 hours.

Before serving, add yogurt to curry. If you’re not serving the entire batch in one sitting, you may want to add the yogurt to individual servings. (I put a large spoonful of curry in a metal bowl, then mixed in about ¼ cup of yogurt.)

Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve over basmati or jasmine rice.

Variations

  • Use only yellow onion.
  • Use ¾ C heavy cream instead of yogurt prior to serving. You can do this about 15 minutes before it’s done cooking.
  • To make this more tikka masala style, use garam masala instead of curry powder.
chicken curry, curry, Indian food, East Indian, cooking, slow cooker, Crockpot, chicken
Slow cooker chicken curry over jasmine rice.

 

Friday’s Hot Tip: Casey Robin Prints and Stationery

It’s Black Friday. For many folks, that means long lines at big box stores or frantic Internet searches for the best price(s) on The Most Perfect Gift Ever. For me, it means doing as little as possible because I am still recovering from Thanksgiving.

Should you opt to shop online this holiday season, I present you with a delightful option for those you know who love whimsical prints or stationery. Casey Robin is a visual development artist who’s worked at Disney; take a look at her portfolio and you’ll see the Disney influence. (You should also watch “Chalk,” the animated short she put together with several fellow summer associates at Walt Disney Animation Studios.)

I’ve interviewed Casey a couple of times – once for an article and another time for a Disney-themed writing project. She is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever worked with, and while we have yet to meet in person, the photos I have seen of her make me think she’s actually a Disney character come to life: blonde pixie haircut, big beautiful eyes, mischievous smile. I adore this young woman.

A few months ago, after I completed work on the Disney character project Casey helped me with, she sent me a sampler of notecards featuring her original designs. It’s hard to choose which ones are my favorites, as the images just pop with color and whimsy, but I’m a big fan of the Lady Bugs series.

Click on each image to be taken to purchase the cards in her Etsy shop, or visit her Etsy shop directly to browse through available prints, as well as the stationery.

Casey Robin, Etsy, stationery, cards, gift cards, thank you cards
Sweet thank you card by Casey Robin (excuse the bad lighting)
Casey Robin, Midsummer Nights Dream, faeries, fairies, fairy, whimsical art, artwork
Midsummer faeries note card series by Casey Robin. Clockwise from top right: Lantern, Bluebell, Poppy, Snowdrop.
Casey Robin, Lady Bugs, notecards, artwork, prints, starlets, Hollywood
Lady Bugs notecards by Casey Robin – Bluey Holiday, Marilyn Monarch, Betty Bumble and Amelady(bug)
Casey Robin, cats, cat lovers, cat lady, note cards, stationery
Cat Parade notecards by Casey Robin. Perfect for corresponding with cat lovers!

Friday’s Hot Tip: Moxie’s Mini Drugstore Kits

We’ve all been there: you’re at the office, out with friends, shopping, eating, whatever. You spill a little marinara sauce on your shirt, get a paper cut, discover your period has started early, feel the early pangs of heartburn. But you’re nowhere near a store to get what you need to feel a bit more put together, or it’s inconvenient to find one. What do you do?

mini drugstore kit, first aid supplies, emergency kit for purse, drugstore items
Moxie’s Mini Drugstore Kit

Enter the Moxie’s Mini Drugstore Kit. (I just made that name up. Catchy, eh?) It’s a little pouch containing various and sundry items you may need in the event of a not-dire-but-mildly-upsetting emergency. I’ve made a few kits for myself and recently I realized, hey, other folks might dig this, and it’s a great holiday gift, too.

What you need:

  • Small bag or pouch. You can repurpose a cosmetic bag, as I did with one I got from Jo Malone (shown above), or you can buy an inexpensive pouch or bag at a drugstore, dollar store or office supply store. If the kit is going to get banged around a lot in a backpack or totebag, then you may want to use a hard acrylic box or tear-resistant fabric instead of plastic.
  • 1-2 pill boxes or containers – these Nalgene vials, hinged boxes, or hinged lid jars are good. You can also repurpose a small candy or mint tin; just wash and dry thoroughly before you use it.
  • Drugstore stuff – This is where practicality and ingenuity meet. You’ll want the basic first aid stuff: adhesive bandages, alcohol swabs, aspirin, antacid pills, individually wrapped throat lozenges. Beyond that, you can add items such as:
    • stain remover pen – Tide To Go pens are my preference
    • bobby pins
    • safety pins
    • dental floss
    • mini toothbrush – Wisp by Colgate are perfect for this
    • feminine hygiene products – tampons, pantiliners, pads, Instead SoftCup
    • lip balm
    • hand wipes – individually wrapped wipes are the most compact
    • sewing kit
    • pocket pack of tissues
    • eye drops
    • hand lotion – travel size
    • sunblock – travel size
    • antibacterial gel
    • nail file and/or nail clippers
    • breath mints, strips or spray

Once you have everything, it’s time to start putting together your kits. Fill the pill boxes with a selection of pills, separating them as needed and labeling the boxes. (If you’re doing this for someone else, you may want to leave the pill boxes empty so they can fill them with their preferred over-the-counter medicines.) With the single-use items, such as the bandages and handwipes, insert at least 3 of each – these items should be flat & compact enough that they won’t take up much room in the bag.

Moxie's Mini Drugstore Kit, personal hygiene, first aid, emergency kit
The Moxie Mini Drugstore kit from my backpack contains all these items inside a green mesh pouch.

Pro Tips:

  • If you’re putting together more than one kit, then you may want to look for items at the dollar store.
  • If you tend to grab hotel freebies such as lotion, mouthwash or sewing kits, these are the perfect size to include.
  • Making kits for yourself? Be sure to do a kit inventory every 3-6 months to refresh your supplies, check expiration dates, etc.
  • These kits in a larger size are also great for bridal parties (crazy things are known to happen in the hours before a wedding), new moms (add baby wipes, a pacifier, and other baby supplies), college grads off to their first job (perfect to tuck in their desk at work).

Friday’s Hot Tip: Homemade Salsa

When I was growing up, my parents and I would frequently go out to lunch on Saturdays. It was a post-church treat as Momcat didn’t have to cook or clean anything up. One of our preferred lunch spots was Alamo, a Mexican restaurant with a more Tex-Mex flair. The salsa came to the table in a big Melamine bowl and was the perfect consistency: finely blended fresh tomato, onion, garlic and cilantro. This is the place where I first heard Pops say “Don’t fill up on chips! You’ll be too full to eat your tacos.” But they were so good, and the salsa was so tasty, it was hard to stop.

For many years I have searched for the perfect salsa like Alamo makes (yep, they are still in business), without much success. Sure, there have been some strong contenders – I particularly like Trader Joe’s Salsa Especial. Only in recent years did I consider the possibility that making my own salsa could bring me to that same blissful state as Alamo’s chips and salsa did so many years ago.

A few months ago, I had lunch with a friend who makes all sorts of fabulous sounding dishes at home. I mentioned wanting to make salsa and she whipped out a notebook and started writing down a recipe a friend had given her years before. I believe its origins are from someone’s Mexican grandmother. Todo del mundo ya sabe that abuelitas make delicious food, and this salsa is no exception. Even better? It’s super inexpensive to make and all you need is your blender or food processor. I’ve even made a short video to show you how easy it is.

You can easily adapt this recipe to suit your tastes. Can’t get fire-roasted tomatoes? Use regular instead. Don’t like cilantro? Leave it out. (You have made abuela cry, but she understands.) Too spicy? Use mild chiles instead. No lime? Use a lemon, or, if you must, use ReaLemon or ReaLime in the plastic container.

Homemade Salsa

  • 2 14-oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes (Make sure there’s no added garlic, onion or chiles in the can. Trust me on this. You’re going to be adding fresh garlic, onion and chiles anyway, so why do you need it here?)
  • 1/4 C onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 4-oz can diced jalapenos
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro, rinsed (jam the cilantro – leaves, stems and all – into a measuring cup)
  • 1/2 lime, juiced

Put all ingredients in food processor or blender. Process/blend on low speeds until ingredients are combined. Makes approximately 4 1/2 cups.


Friday’s Hot Tip: What’s Cookin? Penne with Spinach & Chickpeas

The hardest part about giving up a lot of wheat and gluten is giving up pasta. Fortunately there are several companies who have come up with rice pasta. Tinkyada makes excellent gluten-free pasta but at $3.99 or more a bag, it can be quite expensive. I buy Trader Joe’s Brown Rice Pasta and find it to be just as good. By using rice pasta I don’t have to stop making my favorite pasta dishes, such as this incredibly delicious penne with spinach, chickpeas and tomatoes tossed in an olive oil-based sauce.

This recipe is a very slight variation on one I got from Kirsten over at NilsenLife. I love chickpeas and especially love them in this dish, which is so full of garlicky tomato-y chickpea goodness that I often eat more than I should in one sitting. I use baby spinach leaves instead of frozen – while I’m loving spinach more now as an adult, I still have issues with frozen spinach. It’s just not aesthetically pleasing.

Earlier this week I visited Kirsten at her home and we briefly discussed our love of this dish. We were in agreement about the addictive qualities of this dish, but couldn’t quite define what makes it so…craveable. The olive oil? The garlic? The combination of flavors? Whatever it is, this pasta dish is well worth turning on the stove for, even during these hot summer days. Pro tip: if you have leftovers, try them cold or at room temperature – still tastes fabulous.

Penne with Spinach and Chickpeas in Garlic Sauce

5-6 oz. loose fresh spinach OR 1 small pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed
8 oz. penne pasta
1/3 C olive oil
3-6 garlic cloves (depending on how garlicky you like your food, or if you are trying to ward off vampires)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1 15-oz can of chickpeas, drained but not rinsed
Kosher salt & ground pepper
1/4 C grated Parmesan (optional)

Clean spinach, discard stems. (Chop leaves if they are on the large side.) Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 2 minutes. (Don’t let the garlic burn!) Add the tomatoes and chickpeas and cook 2 minutes more. Add freshly ground pepper for added zing. Throw in the chopped spinach, add kosher salt and stir well. Turn off the burner and allow the spinach to cook on its own – it will be much fresher & bright green in color.

When the pasta is done, drain it thoroughly. Add pasta to saucepan or mix pasta with sauce in a separate bowl. Sprinkle on the Parmesan, and toss again. You can have this pasta without the Parmesan if you have issues with dairy products, but the cheese adds another lovely flavor to the dish.

Serves 3-4 (Pro tip: use entire bag of penne and spinach if you’re feeding a larger group.)

Friday’s Hot Tip: What’s Cookin’? Vinaigrette Dressing

I’ve written before about my cooking phases, but I’m also very conscious of going through phases in salad dressing. When I was growing up, Momcat and I would notice new dressings in the condiments aisle of the grocery store and we would try them out. I remember when ranch dressing made its way onto the scene, usurping many a bottle of Thousand Island not only in our house, but across the land as well. We also tried a tomato dressing that featured sun-dried tomatoes in a vinaigrette-style based – I’d love to find it again, or recreate it, the flavor was so good. When Paul Newman started making his own dressing, we were on it and many a meal at the Moxie kitchen table included that blue-eyed devil staring at us from a bottle of his finest vinaigrette.

About five or six years ago, I was inspired by a former friend to start making my own salad dressings. She would make these incredible salads full of fresh veggies, beans, and other delectables, but instead of serving them with a store-bought dressing, she would mix up olive oil with vinegar, different herbs and spices, and add some ingredients I wouldn’t have thought to add to a homemade dressing.

Over the years I’ve adapted this recipe for my own purposes, and every batch turns out differently, but the following recipe is a good place to start if you are new to DIY salad dressing. Add or remove ingredients as you see fit.

Moxie’s DIY Vinaigrette Dressing

6 T olive oil
4 T rice wine vinegar (balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar is also good)
1/2 T honey
1/2 T spicy brown mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 T fresh thyme
1 T water

145 calories per 2 T serving

Mix all ingredients together using a whisk or hand-held electric beater. Store in a jar with a tight lid or a cruet.

Friday’s Hot Tip: What’s Cookin’? Chicken with Quinoa & Veggies

When it comes to cooking for myself, I go through phases:

  • Phase 1: buying items that allow me to assemble quick, easy meals
  • Phase 2: having zero interest in making anything that involves a pot, pan or a spatula
  • Phase 3: getting bored with everything I have been making during Phase 1 so seeking out new recipes and experimenting

I’m currently in Phase 3, which can lend itself to some pretty tasty dishes…or some culinary horror stories. Fortunately last week’s experiment turned out very well, and I’m posting the recipe here so you can try it for yourself. I’m a big fan of one-pot cooking, and I eat a lot of chicken at home, so this is my variation on a one-pot chicken recipe I found on Real Simple‘s website.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is an itty-bitty grain first harvested by Native Americans. It’s got loads of protein and can be served for breakfast (the texture is similar to oatmeal and you can make it sweet or savoury) or as a side dish with vegetables for lunch or dinner. It can be cooked like rice, so it’s very easy to substitute quinoa in entrees calling for rice. Plus you get the fun of saying quinoa.

Chicken with Quinoa, Mushrooms, Peppers & Spinach

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins
  • 1 T extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 C mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 C mixed bell peppers, chopped (I use frozen mixed but fresh red bell pepper would be great here)
  • 1/4 t basil, dried
  • 2 C vegetable broth
  • 1 C uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 C baby spinach, washed, stems removed
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and saute until golden, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate.

Add mushrooms to skillet and saute until browned, about 3-4 minutes (Note: you may want to add more oil or a little water to keep the mushrooms from burning; I added water). Add peppers, garlic and basil. Cook until peppers have softened, about 3 minutes.

Add broth and quinoa, stirring gently to mix with vegetables. Increase heat to medium-high and allow broth to come to a slow boil. Return chicken to pan, spacing pieces evenly. Lower heat and cover pan. Simmer for 12-15 minutes or until quinoa has cooked through and broth has been absorbed. Season with pepper.

Remove lid, turn off heat and add spinach, tearing up larger leaves. Season with salt, then stir spinach into quinoa and chicken mixture, allowing heat from the dish to wilt the spinach.

Serves 2-4.

Got any quinoa recipes to share? Tell me in the comments!

Friday’s Hot Tip: Penne Pomodoro e Peperoncino

Years ago I found this recipe in InStyle Magazine – I think it was Janet Jackson’s favorite dish at a restaurant, but I don’t have any information on which restaurant. Nevertheless, Ms. Jackson has excellent taste because this pasta is addictive. It’s really delicious served hot but I also like it cold or room temperature. It takes time and attention to make the olive-oil-based sauce, so plan on setting aside about 45 minutes to babysit the saucepan.

Last week I served this pasta along with London broil and a spinach salad made with pomegranate seeds, candied pecans and Parmesan cheese tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette. It was a big hit and paired beautifully with the beef.

Since this recipe makes a lot of pasta, I recommend making it for a party. You’ll glow with pride as your guests rhapsodize about your mad skills with penne.

Penne al Pomodoro e Peperoncino

  • 1 1/4 cups olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped red onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup chopped carrot
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/2 lbs penne pasta
  • 10 fresh basil leaves
  • Chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish (optional)

In medium saucepan heat oil. Add onion, celery carrot, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, 15-17 minutes. Add tomatoes and red pepper flakes; reduce heat to medium low, cook for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in large pot bring 6 quarts salted water to boil. Add pasta, stir. Return water to boil. Boil pasta 11-13 minutes, until al dente. Drain well. Return pasta to pot. Add basil leaves to sauce. Spoon sauce into bowl of food processor; process in batches until texture is smooth. [Moxie adds: I use my blender because my food processor is too small and I would rather get the whole thing done in one fell swoop. If you’ve got a big honkin’ food processor, though, by all means use it.]. Pour sauce over pasta; toss well. To serve, place pasta on warmed serving platter. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serves 6.

Friday’s Hot Tip: Grape & Olive Compote

Last May I read Signora da Vinci, a fascinating and fun historical novel about Leonardo daVinci’s mother. Several times in the book, the narrator referred to a special dish she would make from grapes and olives. The fictional characters who enjoyed the dish raved about it and made me want to try some myself. I’m not a foodie but I love good flavor combinations and this one sounded very intriguing.

Fortunately the author, Robin Maxwell, had the foresight to add a recipe at the end of the book. I have made it twice for parties and it’s been a big hit. While it may feel too hot to run the oven right now, I think you owe it to yourself to make this compote for your next happy hour or gathering. It’s very tasty with pita chips.

Grape & Olive Compote

1 bunch seedless red grapes
1 jar Kalamata olives, pits removed (use a little bit of the liquid)
3 T balsamic vinegar
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T fresh chopped thyme

Mix in ovenproof dish – I use a deep Pyrex bowl.

Bake uncovered for one hour at 350 degrees, turning every 20 minutes to recoat with oil & vinegar.

Serve warm or cold.

Got any good recipes to share? Send ’em over!

Drink This, You’ll Feel Better: Natural Remedies for Cold/Flu

I personally hate taking medicine and will avoid taking it unless I am in major pain. It’s probably because I suffered from bad allergies as a child, growing up on the allergen-loving East Coast, and seemed to be constantly taking medication. To this day I hate anything that’s artificial cherry flavor (aside from the occasional Cherry Coke) or artificial fruit flavor. I see a bottle of Robitussin and I shudder with the memory.

Since I’ve been in California, I’ve looked for natural cures and home remedies for all sorts of ailments. For the most part they work very well for me. My two personal favorites are hot drinks I have concocted when I have a bad cold or the flu. These mixes do a great job of soothing what ails me and there’s no side effects.

Lemonade Remedy
1/2 – 3/4 cup lemonade
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (Tapatio is my preference; tabasco or Cholula also work)
1/2 teaspoon or more apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon or more honey

Put all of the ingredients into a mug. Heat in the microwave for 2 minutes and drink while hot. Yes, it sounds gross, but you mostly taste the sweetness of the lemonade and the honey – the hot stuff just helps clear the sinuses.

Tomato “Tea”
1/2 – 3/4 cup tomato juice (mixed vegetable juice also works)
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (see a trend here?)
2 minced garlic cloves (about 1/2 teaspoon if you get the stuff in the jar)
fresh lemon juice
Dash celery salt or Mrs. Dash (optional)

Put all of the ingredients into a mug. Heat in the microwave for 2 minutes and drink/sip while hot. It’s like a Virgin Bloody Mary with the heat turned on. I sometimes will eat this “tea” like soup, getting some good pita chips or tortilla chips to dip in my mug.

Got a home remedy that works wonders?
Please share it in the comments.