Curry up!

Ever had one of those nights when you have popcorn for dinner??  You just don't have the energy or patience for anything more.  That's the kind of week I had last week, and I think this week is going to be just as busy.  Can't complain about that, busy is good, but really....popcorn??  I can do better than that.

I taught a One Pot Dinners cooking class last week and it was a timely reminder of the dishes I've created for those nights when you just want to get a good, healthy dinner in your belly as quickly as possible.  This one meets all the criteria:  it comes together quickly, it tastes fantastic, and it's filled with all the seasonal veggies you can get your hands on.  You can easily add cooked chicken to this, but I'm in a plant-based state of mind, so I've added garbanzo beans and rice to give myself the benefits of a complete protein.  Feel free to add whatever veggie you like; this is my favorite blend because of all of the colors (looks pretty, and we eat with our eyes first, right?).  The more colors you add to your food, the more nutrients you get, as each color is a specific powerhouse of vitamins and minerals.

Some of my most popular cooking classes are the ethnic ones.  The flavors are always deep and well balanced, but most importantly to me, is that some of these other cultures, like Thai and Indian (my two most popular classes) seem to focus more on vegetables, legumes and grains, than on animal proteins.  I dig that!  And I like to share those recipes with as many people as possible.  So here you go....my Veggie Green Curry:

Start out by heating up a little coconut oil in a skillet.  This gives a nice background of flavor, and coconut oil is a type of fat that is quickly converted to energy and not stored in the body as fat, so it actually helps boost your metabolism (I'll take it!).  Once it's melted, add a little Thai Kitchen green curry paste, garlic and ginger, and just let those flavors hang out and get to know each other.  Then add some tamari (it's a wheat free soy sauce, better flavor) and a can (or two, if you like a lot of sauce) of coconut milk.  Use the real thing, not a "light" version.  When we make something low fat or "light", we have to add things to it to replace the fat that was taken out (fat adds flavor; don't be afraid of fat).  Often sugar replaces the fat in lighter versions, and you should be more concerned about your sugar intake than your fat intake.  Sugar is the enemy of good health, people.

Once you get that up to a good simmer, add the beans and veggies.  Just add the veggies that need to be cooked.  A little tip: the smaller you cut them, the quicker they'll cook and the sooner you'll be eating!  In this recipe, I hold off on adding the shredded carrot and the tomatoes, because they don't need any real cooking time.  Cover and simmer until the vegetables are cooked (I like mine still a little crisp, so about 5 or so minutes does it).  Stir in the carrot, tomatoes, and basil and serve over rice.  I like to stir the cooked rice right into the skillet so everything gets a chance to swim in the fragrant sauce for a while.  Viola!  A healthy, delicious meal with little to no effort.....got to love that!  AND only one pot to clean...bonus!!

Veggie  Green Curry                                                                                                                        Serves 4

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons Thai Kitchen Green Curry Paste

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 14-oz can coconut milk

2 teaspoons tamari

1 14 oz can garbanzo beans, drained

1 bunch broccoli, cut in small florets

1 red bell pepper, julienne cut

1 cup thin green beans

1 carrot, shredded

1 tomato, chopped

½ cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

2 cups cooked brown rice

·         In a skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add curry paste, garlic and ginger; cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

·         Stir in the coconut milk and tamari. 

·         Add the garbanzo beans, broccoli, bell pepper and green beans, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. 

·         Stir in carrot, tomato and basil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

·         Serve over rice.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

I know it's not really sweet potato season, but I had a class the other night and we got to talking about my teaching a gnocchi class.  Potato gnocchi is yummy, but sweet potato gnocchi will have you breaking up with that old spud in favor of this delicious substitute.

The other change is that I don't like to boil my gnocchi; I pan fry it in a little olive oil or coconut oil.  It creates a lovely,crispy brown shell around the pillowy sweet potato.  As long as I'm breaking the rules, I also like serving it with a light coconut curry sauce.  I'm not really a big fan of tomato-based sauces, though I make a mean marinara and an even meaner pizza sauce.  I gravitate toward cream sauces, but since they can be a "middle killer", I try to find ways to lighten them up.  "Don't trust a skinny chef" only works with restaurant dining, when you want to splurge and don't care about the consequences of one night out.  If you're trying to be healthy, then you should probably go for a chef with a little less meat on her bones!

If you've never tried gnocchi before, don't be intimidated.  It's easy, albeit a little messy.  I haven't taught a gnocchi class in nearly a year, because after the last one, I was finding little reminders of the class for months (gnocchi dough is a sticky little bugger).  But if you aren't making it with 8 other people, you should be fine!

First bake the potatoes and when cool enough to handle, mash the flesh in a bowl with ricotta, garlic, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Slowly add flour until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Create the little dough balls (see the recipe below) and press the tines of a fork into one side.  When all are ready, place them in a single layer in a hot skillet coated with olive oil (coconut oil is yummy, too, if you have it).  Only takes about 5 minutes.  The perfect amount of time to make your sauce (recipe below).  Oh yeah, and it's a no-cook sauce.  Got to love that on a hot night!

When gnocchi are perfectly browned, plate and top with sauce (go ahead and use marinara, but you'll be missing out on this tasty combo with my coconut sauce....trust me, remember?). Garnish with sliced scallions.....so pretty. So yummy.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Serves 6-8

2 pounds sweet potatoes

2/3 cup whole milk ricotta

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-1 1/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, plus 1/3 cup for the work surface

·         Preheat the oven to 425°

·         Pierce the sweet potato with a fork. Bake until tender and fully cooked, 40- 55 minutes.

·          Cool slightly. Cut in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Mash the sweet potatoes.

·         Transfer the mashed sweet potatoes back to the large bowl. Add the ricotta, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic and pepper, blending until well mixed.

·         Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time until a soft dough forms.

·         Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough in a ball on the work surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Roll out each ball into a 1-inch wide rope.

·         Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. Roll the gnocchi over the tines of a fork. Transfer the formed gnocchi to a large baking sheet. Continue with the remaining gnocchi. 

• Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.   When oil is hot, add gnocchi in a single layer, working in batches, turning to crisp each side, approximately 5 minutes total.

Coconut Curry Sauce

½  cup coconut milk

½  teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½  teaspoon turmeric

pinch cayenne

3 tablespoon lime juice

3 scallions, greens only, thinly sliced or ¼ cup chopped chives

Whisk all ingredients, except scallions, in a bowl.  When gnocchi is ready to serve, toss with coconut curry sauce and top with scallions.