The kids have long gone to bed and so has my hubby dear. Laundry and chores are done. and I finally fine some rare alone time with nothing to do. (granted, I could go to bed lol but my mind wont let me) I have a hard time knowing what to do after kids have gone to bed and chores have been done (in all honesty...when ever are all the chores ever completely done???. So tonight I'm going to catch up to some much needed blogging ;-)       I'm sitting here with steaming earl grey in hand and an amazing recipe ready to share...A dear blogging friend (you can check her blog out here) sent me two boxes of absolutely amazing cookbooks. She had very sweetly written all her favorite recipes on a paper for each book. This recipe is from one of these books "Fine Cooking Annual" volume 1 pg 154. I'm continuing with her idea of writing down which recipes she liked. This one got 5 ***** !!! (stars...not cussing!)

       This recipe seriously is the bomb!!!!

Growing up I remember eating authentic Indian curry, all I remember was thinking it was very dry and spicy (not all curries are, but the yellow curry we were served def. was). I remember dreading "curry" night and finding unique and creative ways to make the yellow stuff go down...
One day a friend of a friend in college invited us over. She was Indian and an amazing cook I might add.
She taught me this wonderful trick of adding yogurt and bananas to my curry (I know...I know, I'm back with the banana craze, read more here) but I can honestly say..this made curry so much more enjoyable! I would go as far as saying that I didn't mind "curry" night as much any more, providing there was sufficient yogurt and bananas (you can imagine some peoples faces at the request of sliced bananas lol yogurt is comonly asked for, it cuts the spiciness).
Know at this point in life I had never been introduced to "Thai" food! a huge loss if you ask me! But don't worry to much, I quickly remedied that ;-)
I remember the day I tried authentic Thai curry....no...words...can ... describe what was going on in my mouth! It was AMAZING!!!
How could I have gone through life without ever knowing about Thai food???, Thai food became one of my favorite foods, i just absolutely LOVE the coconut milk mixed with the curry...divine!
I have successfully converted my husband to Thai food and we now love love love the dishes we've been served.

In my opinion this recipe is a mix of Indian and Thai curry. The coconut brings a creamy softness to the curry, and the potatoes add a unique touch. Of course I'm a huge cilantro fan and this dish definitely wore the cilantro well ;-)
Definitely try this recipe out...it is soooo worth it!

TIPS:

• I found that using a spoon to peel the ginger works wonders, I used to use a knife, but would loose chunks of good ginger because of it. The spoon scrapes just the peel off...really easy!
• You don't have to use the jalapeño, I have a 2 and 3 year old and I highly doubt they would have appreciated the added heat. I tasted absolutely amazing without it.
• You can also just use the whole can of coconut milk. I stuck to the recipe and used the rest of the coconut milk for another recipe.
• I just used regular yellow curry (not the red hot curry or the madras curry!)
• Serve over basmati rice...mmmmmm

Chicken with Potatoes, Peas & Coconut-Curry Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3) 
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 
• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil;  more as needed 
• 1/2 medium onion, finely diced (to yield about 1/2 cup) 
• 1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger (look at tips above)
• 2 tsp. seeded, minced fresh jalapeño (optional, I didn't add this)
• 1 Tbs. sweet curry powder (not Madras or hot, I used regular yellow curry)
• 1 cup homemade or low-salt chicken broth 
• 1 medium (6-oz.) red or yellow potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (to yield about 1 cup) 
• 5-1/2 oz. can coconut milk, well shaken ( for a thinner sauce, go ahead and add the whole 14-15oz can)
• 1/2 cup frozen peas 
• 2 Tbs. roughly chopped fresh cilantro 

Directions

1. Trim the chicken, removing the tenders and slice on an angle into 3/4-inch pieces; season generously with salt and pepper.

White edges signal that it's time to flip the chicken
Picture courtesy of  fine cooking

1. In a 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it's hot enough to shimmer. Add half of the chicken and cook, flipping once, until lightly browned and just barely cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate; repeat with the remaining chicken. Cover with foil to keep warm.
2. Return the pan to medium heat and, if it looks dry, add another 1 Tbs. oil. Add the onion, ginger, and jalapeño and sauté, stirring almost constantly with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables soften, about 2 minutes. Add the curry powder and sauté for 30 seconds. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape the pan with a spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the potato and 1/2 tsp. salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potato is barely tender, 7 to 8 minutes. 
3. Add the coconut milk and peas; simmer uncovered until the peas are thawed, the potato is fully tender, and the sauce is somewhat thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. 
4. Taste the sauce; add salt and pepper as needed. Add the chicken along with any accumulated juices to the sauce and turn to coat with the sauce. 
5. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the cilantro.

Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking Annual volume 1 pg 154

                                     

Healthy Homemade Chips With Sea Salt

Crunchy goodness!

Boredom has struck again...either that or pure laziness lol
I found myself craving some good ol plain salted chips. I don''t usually have chips in the house and it doesn't show its face on my shopping list very often. which means I need to get off my lazy behind and drag three sleepy whinny kids to the store...yeah NOT happening!

*** random complaint break***

for you moms with two or more kids...doesn't it just bother you that the stores only offer carts with one seat (maybe two seats, but you will have to fight the other  moms greedily eyeing it...to the death if you must...good luck with that!) they should come up with a better way for moms with three kids under three to drag there them around.

***end of random complaint break***

For those of you who've never experienced an overtired  hungry two year old in a over-crowded-no-lanes-open Walmart, let me illuminate it for you. It's as if that sweet contained cherub of yours becomes a possessed and  uncontrolled mess of "I want...I want...I want..." followed by ear shattering screams and nerve wracking whines. Its definitely not a scene for the faint of heart!
And so I'm sure you fully understand the reason of my apprehension of taking three of such cherubs with me, just for a measly bag of unwanted calories. So like every other time, I decided to make my own chips.
this technique was very interesting and fun but extremely time consuming. I definitely won't be making homemade chips by the bag! 
All that was needed really was a golden potato, sea salt or other spices based on your own preference, paper towels, olive oil and a microwave. 
These were VERY addicting! I only wish I could make more in one go. the moment they came out of the microwave I was holding back on popping them in my mouth!
Try them just for fun! ;-)

Pointers I found useful:

• I didn't use the bag I just dunked the potato chips in the oil on the plate and made sure both sides were covered.
•  I used extra virgin olive oil .
• Overlapping chips is not recommened, as they tend to be slightly "chewy" in the end compared to keeping them seperated. 
• For toppings I used seasalt, you can use onion powder,  cayenne or squeeze fresh lime juice with the olive oil in the plate before dunking the potatoes, and then seasoned with seasalt and just a little kool-aid lemonade powder mix. (the kind without sugar added) The powder mix has citric acid in it which really gave the salty lime chips a nice zing! 
• Always watch the plate in the microwave, it only takes sec. for the chips to burn.
• I used my kitchenaid mandoline to slice the potatoes, the thinner the crispier and the quicker they cook. but try to keep the slices similar in size.
• use any spices you would like, spice blends work well...experiment!
• Why not trying this with beets and sweet potato? I haven't tried it but it seems doable ;-) Here's a recipe from Giada de Laurentiis, but it involves frying the chips. but sounds good nonetheless. 

The perfect chip, crunchy and slightly browned in the middle

The NOT perfect chip, this was only 1-2 seconds after the last picture, that's how fast they burn!

Homemade Potato Chips

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 potato, sliced paper thin (peel optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Directions

1. Pour the vegetable oil into a plastic bag (a produce bag works well). Add the potato slices, and shake to coat. (or do it the messy way as mentioned above )
2. Coat a large dinner plate lightly with olive oil or cooking spray. Arrange potato slices in a single layer on the dish.
3. Cook in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned (if not browned, they will not become crisp). Times will vary depending on the power of your microwave. Make sure you continue to watch the chips as they brown fast. 
4. Remove chips from plate, and toss with salt (or other seasonings as mentioned above). Let cool. Repeat process with the remaining potato slices. You will not need to keep oiling the plate.

Loaded baked Potato Chowder - Oven free!

Chowder is one of those dishes that makes me want to cuddle up in a large fluffy blanket and listen to the wind howl out side while I enjoy my piping hot potato chowder!
And this one does not disappoint! I love all cream based soups yum! can't get enough! especially now the weather is getting cooler. I've had some problems though with my oven, it's been a mite finicky. this recipe luckily does not use the oven...but...yes it does use my very nifty "can't life without" microwave (mine is a 1300, if you have a microwave that is under 900 you might have some difficulties with this recipe, mainly with the cook times). as I just mention this soup is made entirely with the microwave and has turned into one of my fav. soups.
Try it out on a colder night when you don't have the energy to clean a but load of dishes (wich is always for me lol) just try this recipe out!
Use God's plentiful provisions well and enjoy!

Loaded baked Potato Soup

Loaded baked Potato Chowder

Ingredients:

• 3 Baking potatoes
• 3 1/2 cups Milk devided (I used %2)
• 4oz Cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 2-3 Green onions with tops
• 4oz Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Coarsely ground black pepper
• Optional topping like Bacon, Broccoli, Sour cream

Directions:

1. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise; place in a Deep Covered Baker. Pour 1/2 cup of the milk over potatoes. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 11 minutes. Remove baker from microwave. Move center potatoes to ends of baker and outer potatoes to center. Cover; microwave on HIGH 8-11 minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Remove baker from microwave. Coarsely mash potatoes. 
2. Meanwhile, whisk cream cheese until smooth in a seperate bowl. Slowly add remaining 3 cups ) milk, whisking until smooth. Add cream cheese mixture and butter to baker. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 3-5 minutes or until mixture is hot. Slice green onions. 
3. Carefully remove baker from microwave. Grate cheddar cheese over chowder; add green onions, salt and black pepper and mix; until cheese is melted. Serve with toppings, if desired. 
4. Serves 6 (8cups)

Adapted from The pampered chef

Daring Cooks: Tzatziki Potato Salad

Jami Sorrento was our June Daring Cooks hostess and she chose to challenge us to celebrate the humble spud by making a delicious and healthy potato salad.
The Daring Cooks Potato Salad Challenge was sponsored by the nice people at the United States Potato Board, who awarded prizes to the top 3 most creative and healthy potato salads. A medium-size (5.3 ounce) potato has 110 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and includes nearly half your daily value of vitamin C and has more potassium than a banana!

I Loved this challenge, any challenge that really does put my mind to work is awesome!
Well I am a firm lover of the original spud salad lol and am not to keen on the "healthy" versions I had tried so far (I know, I know they are better for the figure). After looking up healthy versions of potato salad I came across a few with yogurt. Yogurt didn't sound too bad and I use it often when I make curry so first I thought of a curry potato salad but alas I had no curry in my possession at the time and I was on a strict budget and had told myself to only use up what I had in the fridge and cupboards...sigh...I sometimes wish I was more adventurous and talented at combining different flavors and coming up with awesome recipes but I'm sadly not the best ;-) so when they said we had full reign with this one, my mind went everywhere lol
I finally settled on this tzatziki potato salad from Food&Wine. I love tzatziki sauce and I use it with a lot of my Greek and Iranian recipes. sooooo good

Here is some info on Tzatziki sauce:

Tzatziki is a Greek meze or appetizer, also used as a sauce. Tzatziki is made of strained yoghurt (usually from sheep or goat milk) mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, usually olive oil, pepper, dill, sometimes lemon juice and parsley, and sometimes mint added. Tzatziki is served cold.
While in Greece and Turkey the dish is usually served as an accompaniment, in other places tzatziki is often served with bread (loaf or pita) as part of the first course of a meal.

I ended up using organic Greek yogurt,fresh dill and mint leaves, I didn't have kirby cucumbers in the refrigerator but did have a regular cucumber...it worked great! I used Yukon petite potatoes and left the skin on (it keeps the nutrients in the potatoes ;-)...)
I added some crumbled goats cheese and would have added a little bit smoked salmon if I had it, but that is totally up to you ;-)

Hope you like it!

Tzatziki Potato Salad
Printable version

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 3/4 cup Greek-style, plain fat-free yogurt
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 3 Kirby cucumbers—peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used a regular cucumber)
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup crumbled goats cheese (optional)
• smoked salmon to taste (optional)

Directions

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook over high heat until tender, about 9 minutes. Drain, gently shaking out the excess water. Spread the potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze for about 10 minutes, just until no longer warm. 
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the yogurt with the mayonnaise until smooth. Add the cucumbers, chile, mint and dill, cheese. Fold in the potatoes, season with salt and pepper add smoked salmon and serve.

Make Ahead The potato salad can be refrigerated for 2 days.

Recipe adapted from Food&Wine