Curried Chicken and Pasta Salad

We had tons of leftover cooked chicken after I roasted two whole chickens a few days ago.  There were many chicken dishes created in the days following including enchiladas and chicken soup.  With the last bit we decided to make a chicken salad, but didn't have quite enough to make a decent sized batch.  So we cooked some pasta to mix in, and it ended up tasting quite delicious with the curry-mayo dressing.  The raisins add sweetness and I threw some carrots in there for an extra crunch.  The recipe itself came from Ina Garten- I only made a few minor changes.  This is a great dish to make ahead for a potluck or to pack and take for lunch.

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
3 cups elbow pasta cooked in salted water (about 1 1/2 cup dry- though I didn't measure mine)
2 large stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 3)
1/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup mayonaisse (homemade always good!)
1 tablespoon madras curry powder (if you use a less powerful curry powder you may want to use more)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chutney (I used something closer to a sweet relish because it was all I had on hand)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
1/4 cup roasted salted cashews

Directions:
Combine chicken, green onion, celery, raisins,and carrot in a large bowl.  Place pasta in a separate bowl.  Set aside.  

To make sauce, combine mayonaisse, curry powder, wine, chutney, cayenne, and at least 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Stir until well combined.  

Pour a couple large spoonfuls over the pasta and stir until all of the noodles have been coated.  Add the chicken and vegetable mixture and spoon additional sauce into the mixture.  Stir, and continue to add more sauce if it looks too dry.  My carrots were an afterthought as you can see they were mixed in later.

You may not end up needing all of the sauce, so don't add it all at once.  Taste and add black pepper and more salt to taste.  Sprinkle in cashews before serving.

Apple-Curry Quinoa

This is my go-to recipe for quinoa as a side dish, and goes especially great with pork.  Apples and pork are a classic combo which is why I think this quinoa dish works so well with it.  The flavors of curry and mint add a unique twist, and the sweet agave nectar and crunchy almonds really round out the dish.  And best of all, it is healthy!  This is a really good alternative to your usual potato or rice side dish - it tastes great and everyone will be impressed by the amazing and fresh flavor combination.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pre-rinsed quinoa

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 t salt

2 T fresh lemon juice

1 T olive oil

1/4 t pepper

1 1/2 t curry powder

1/2 t cumin

1 T agave nectar or honey

2 T minced shallot

1/3 cup mint leaves, chopped

1 apple, diced into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 cup chopped or sliced almonds

1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Directions:

Bring the chicken broth and salt to a boil, and add quinoa.  Simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.  Fluff with a fork and leave covered until you are ready to add the rest of the ingredients.  In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, oil, pepper, curry powder, cumin, agave nectar, and shallot.    Whisk this sauce together until it is well-incorporated.  

Pour over the quinoa and stir to combine.  Next, add the apple and mint, and finally the almonds and cranberries if using.  Mix well, taste for more salt, and serve hot or cold.

Curry Chicken Rice Soup

I just made a huge batch of this soup to take over to my parents for dinner.  I find it to be more filling than regular chicken rice soup, and the curry gives it a whole new flavor entirely.  The fresh herbs and lemon juice at the end add brightness and dimension to the dish and really cannot be skipped.  This recipe makes enough for 8-10 but you could easily cut it in half if you aren't cooking for a group.  Or, freeze the leftovers in a gallon zip lock and save for later.  Thank you Food Network for the recipe! (slightly altered)

Ingredients:
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 cups low sodium chicken broth, 2 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 carrots, sliced
4 celery stalks, sliced
2 T madras curry powder (depending on where your curry powder is from it may be more or less potent... if you are worried about too much curry flavor, add half of it first and then add more at the end to your taste)
2 t kosher salt
ground black pepper
1 cup jasmine rice
1 bunch of fresh dill (about 1/2 a cup, chopped)
1 bunch of fresh mint (about 1/2 a cup, chopped)
2 Lemons

Directions:
Start by boiling the chicken breasts.  Combine the three breasts into a medium pot with 4 cups of broth and one cup of water.  Add the bay leaves, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Half way through, add about 3/4 of the sliced carrots to the pot with the chicken.  When the chicken is done, remove it from the pot to let it cool.  Set the broth with carrots to the side to use later.

Meanwhile, heat 2 T butter in a large soup pot over medium.  When it is melted, add the onion, celery, remainder of carrots, and garlic and some kosher salt.  Saute for about 5-7 minutes or until vegetables have softened.  Then add the curry powder and stir.

Next, add the jasmine rice to the pot.  Stir to combine, and then pour in the remaining chicken broth, 1 t salt, and water.  

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes or until rice is done.  When the rice is cooked through, use your immersion blender to blend the soup to your desired consistency.  

This step can be skipped if you don't have an immersion blender, but using one thickens the soup nicely.  I blend the soup about 50%, to where it is thick but not completely smooth.

While the rice is cooking, shred your chicken into bite-size pieces, discarding any fatty bits.  Add the chicken along with the carrots and broth to the thickened rice mixture.  Taste for more salt, and add some freshly cracked black pepper.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes longer.

Finally, squeeze the juice from half a lemon into the soup and stir.  If you are serving the entire pot of soup, add the freshly chopped mint and dill to the whole pot.  If you are only serving part of the soup, sprinkle some herbs into each bowl, and save the remaining herbs for the next time you eat the soup.  They are better when freshly added before serving. Add an additional squeeze of lemon juice to each bowl. Enjoy!

Red Vegetable Curry

After receiving a fall mixed produce crate from our local organic delivery service (another Groupon deal) we were left with a cornucopia of root vegetables and squash.  Acorn squash and spaghetti squash to be specific.  Squash is one of those things I've never really liked and it was a challenge to come up with ways to cook it so that I would actually eat it.  The first attack: acorn squash, along with trying to use up as much of the other random vegetables as possible (small potatoes, beets, turnips, onion)
I decided on making a vegetable curry, roasting the squash and root vegetables.  The squash was pureed to thicken the curry, and the other vegetables were simply added once they were done.  It made for a warm & delicious fall dinner, as well as super healthy and vegetarian.  The purple beets & yellow squash combination turn the curry a beautiful bright red color, hence the dish's title.

Ingredients:

• 1 small acorn squash (butternut squash or pumpkin would work too)
• 1 large beet
• 1 large Potato or two medium
• 1 turnip (optional)
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste (or use more yellow curry powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
• olive oil
• handful of chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (I used apple cider vinegar but lemon juice is ideal)
• fresh basil & roasted sunflower seeds as garnish

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees F
Start by roasting the acorn squash.  Halve it, scoop out the seeds & pulp, brush the inside with oil and place face-side down on a baking sheet.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the inside is completely fork tender.  Before and after roasting shots below.

Next, peel and cube the beet, potato, and turnip (if using).  Mix with olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Spread evenly onto a baking sheet or dish, and place in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until tender.

While the vegetables are roasting... Heat 2 T oil over medium heat.  Add the red curry paste and stir quickly (it splatters) to infuse the oil with the curry flavor. 
Next, add the carrots and sautee for 3-4 minutes.  (Some of the curry paste stuck to the bottom of my pan, so I had to deglaze with a few tablespoons of broth so it wouldn't burn.  This may or may not happen depending on your pan.)  Then add the chopped onion, and continue to sautee until the onions soften, about 10 minutes.  Next add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.

Pour 1 cup broth into the pan, along with the yellow curry powder and cayenne pepper. 
Bring to a simmer, add the garbanzo beans, and cook on low for 10-15 minutes, or until you are ready to add the squash.
When the acorn squash is done, scoop out the flesh. Combine this with 1/2 cup broth and blend. (Immersion blender or food processor will work)  Stir this mixture into the curry and continue to simmer over low heat.

When the other vegetables are done roasting, remove them from the oven and stir into the curry mixture. 
Add chopped parsley and lemon juice, stirring to combine.

Serve over rice, sprinkle chopped fresh basil and sunflower seeds on top.

 

If you're interested in the second squash recipe, check out our spaghetti squash side dish with tomato, black olives & feta cheese.