Author: Christina Moore

Peanut Curry

/ Christina Moore / 3 Comments

The word “curry” just means spice. There are thousands of types of curry (and so little time to try them all!). This recipe takes me about 20 minutes to prepare, and then 45 to cook. You can start the rice after you get the curry going.

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Ingredients

  • Either 1.5 lbs. of steak, cubed OR chicken breast, sliced into strips
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 2 cups red potatoes, cubed
  • 2 cups carrots, chopped
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped
  • 13.5 oz. can Chaokoh Coconut Milk
  • 3 tablespoons Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste
  • 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon Thai Kitchen Premium Fish Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • salt & pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot, brown the meat in the oil on medium high. Add the vegetables and stir occasionally until onion is translucent.

Add all the rest of the ingredients, stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook covered for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.

Serve over white rice.

Notes

  • This is already gluten free
  • If you want to make it Paleo, use sweet potatoes instead of the red potatoes, and leave out the sugar
  • Don’t like spicy? Leave out the crushed red pepper. The rest of the ingredients are mild

Tuna Salad

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When I was young, I didn’t care for tuna; the texture was too mushy. I quickly became a convert when working at The Depot Deli. Their tuna salad had all kinds of crunchy textures and flavors. Here’s the recipe, as I remember it.

tuna salad

Ingredients

  • 14 oz Albacore tuna in water, drained
  • 1/4 cup onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1/2 cup dill pickle, chopped
  • 2/3 cup mayonaisse
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dill
  • (optional) 1 apple, chopped
  • fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients, and serve either as a sandwich, on a green salad, or with crackers.

Jambalaya

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I’ve adapted my mom’s recipe to have more spice, and chicken breast. I was lucky enough to grow up in a home that served Southern food fairly often. It’s a super easy, one pot meal that is comfort food for me. This serves a family of 4 with leftovers to spare.

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Ingredients

  • 1½ lbs. chicken breast, cubed
  • 1 lb. ham, cubed
  • 2 large green bell peppers, seeded and diced
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil (I use olive oil)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 tablespoon Tabasco
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups uncooked rice
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot, brown the chicken and ham in the oil.

Remove the meat with a slotted spoon, and add the bell pepper, garlic and onion to the remaining oil. Sauté over medium high for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent.

Add the meat and all remaining ingredients back to the pot. Stir well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low and cover the pot. Cook for 35 minutes on low, without stirring.

Notes

  • My mom’s recipe called for whole chicken pieces. I just didn’t like to bother with the bones and skin.
  • If you remove the Tabasco, this dish isn’t spicy at all.
  • It’s already gluten free, as long as your chicken broth is gluten free.

Grownup Cranberry Sauce

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Homemade cranberry sauce is ridiculously easy to make. I like to make it a couple of days in advance.

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons Cognac
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • 3 allspice berries
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 black peppercorn
  • dash of red pepper flakes

Directions

Combine all of the spices in a cheesecloth and tie in a knot.

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Reduce to simmer, stirring often for 20 minutes.

Discard the cheesecloth bundle and cool.

Granola

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Making your own granola is really easy, and tastes so much better than store-bought.

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Ingredients

  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • 6 cups old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup dried unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
  • 1 cup dried fruit, diced (apricots, dates, raisins and apples all work well)

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°.

In a roasting pan, heat the coconut oil until melted. Add all ingredients except the dried fruit, and stir to combine.

Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and stir in the dried fruit. Cool for 30 minutes before storing.

Notes

  • This will keep at room temperature for a month and 3 months in the fridge.
  • Makes an awesome ice cream topper.

Satay Chicken

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Another super quick and easy dinner when you’re in a hurry. Pretty much no effort or cleanup at all. Not so much cooking, as assembling already prepared ingredients.

SatayChxMain

Ingredients

  • 1 lb package of pre-cooked chicken kabobs
  • 7 oz Satay Peanut Sauce
  • Rice

Directions

Line a 13 x 9″ baking dish with foil. Spray with oil/cooking spray. Place the kabobs in the dish, and pour the sauce over the top.

Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Serve over rice.

Simple Spaghetti

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This might be the first dinner recipe I ever learned to make. My version has evolved over the years to include sherry and Italian Seasoning. You can use any kind of pasta you like. In the photos you can see that I used linguine and fettuccine, because I was out of spaghetti noodles.

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Ingredients

  • 1 lb Jimmy Dean Natural Pork Sausage
  • 16 oz spaghetti (or your favorite pasta variety)
  • 26 oz Blue Parrot Spaghetti Sauce (or your favorite variety)
  • 1/3 cup Sherry
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon salt

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt and olive oil. Add the pasta and cook to your preference; I prefer al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander.

Brown the sausage in a large saucepan. Add the sherry and reduce. Add the spaghetti sauce and Italian seasoning. Cover and simmer over low for at least 5 minutes, or as long as you like.

Serve sauce over the pasta.

Notes

  • Serve with: garlic bread, Parmesan and a salad
  • Gluten free: just change the noodles

Beans and Kielbasa

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Another super simple weeknight dinner my mom used to make. It’s especially yummy when camping. No talent or ability needed for this one!

beansAndKielbasaServe

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Smoked Kielbasa Sausage
  • 28 oz can B&M Baked Beans

Directions

Chop Kielbasa into ½” coins. Combine the beans and the Kielbasa in a pot and warm over medium heat, about 15 minutes.

Notes

  • Side suggestions: cornbread, corn on the cob, salad

beansAndKielbasaIng

Oyster Stew

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This is one of those recipes that you either love or hate. I haven’t found anyone outside of my family that is into oysters like we are. I remember feeling really special when my mom would make this for me on days I was home from school. Whenever I make this, it takes me right back to those special lunches. It only takes about 10 minutes to make this, and serves two.

 

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Ingredients

  • 8 ounce can whole oysters
  • 12 ounce can evaporated milk
  • 12 ounces whole milk
  • 1 ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon garlic granules
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

Directions

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add the oysters, Worcestershire and seasonings and cook over medium for 5 minutes. Add the milk, and heat through.

Serve with salad and crusty french bread or oyster crackers.

Cran-Apple Pork

/ Christina Moore / 3 Comments

This dish is all about the sauce. You can either use half of it as a glaze, while roasting your pork tenderloin, or serve it on top of your grilled pork chops. I’ve included both methods in the instructions below.

cranapplepork

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. pork tenderloin, OR 4 thick pork chops
  • 1 cup cranberries
  • 1 cup apple, pealed and chopped
  • ¼ cup onion, minced
  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon powdered ginger
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted

Directions for Pork Loin Version

Preheat oven to 350°. In a sauce pot, combine cranberries, apple, sugar, water, onion, ginger, curry and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, trim the fat off of the pork loin and rub with the steak seasoning. Place the pork into an oiled 13 x 9″ pan. Uncover and simmer the sauce for 2 minutes more, or until thickened.

Cool 10 minutes, place in a blender, and blend until smooth. Divide the sauce in half. Brush the pork with half. Bake for 30 minutes, or until desired doneness (using a meat thermometer).

Serve pork with remaining sauce.

Directions for Pork Chops Version

In a sauce pot, combine cranberries, apple, sugar, water, onion, ginger, curry and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, heat a large frying pan with the coconut oil. Sprinkle the chops with the steak seasoning. Fry the chops until desired doneness.

Uncover and simmer the sauce for 2 minutes more, or until thickened. Spoon the sauce over the chops and serve.

Notes

  • Side dish suggestions: Roasted potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts, stuffing, steamed green beans, corn on the cob
  • If you don’t have steak seasoning on hand, use whatever your favorite pork chop seasoning is. Salt and pepper work just fine too.
  • Don’t like spicy? Remove the red chili flakes, and cut the curry in half.
  • I like to keep the sauce chunky when I’m making it for pork chops, but it is just the same when blended.
  • Want to make it Paleo? Don’t add sugar. Easy peasy.