Thai butternut squash, sweet potato and chickpea curry

Another late-ish night.  The new veg box was delivered - which is great BUT I have to resist the temptation to use all the new yummy stuff and let the old stuff go off.

So, I challenged myself to use the butternut squash and sweet potato which had been knocking about - so thai red curry.



Peanut oil
Onion
garlic
Thai curry paste (yellow in this case)
yellow pepper
butternut squash
parsnip
sweet potato
tin of chickpeas
tin of coconut milk

rice
water

1.  Sautee onion in oil.
2.  Cook rice by your favourite method.
3.  Stir in other prepared veg (peeled and diced), garlic and curry paste.
4.  Add a little water to allow it to simmer.
5.  Add drained chick peas and coconut milk, simmer ... for about 30 minutes

Taste - if too hot, add a teaspoon of sugar and cook out.  If it is going dry before it's cooked - add a cup of water.

Serve, scoff.  It all looks very yellow but very tasty.

Chickpea, sweet potato and chard red thai curry

I have been a bit pre-occupied for a while, so Kitchen Fairies has suffered, as has my diet, a bit.  So, when the opportunity presented itself for me to inflict kitchen fairies on a new victim I was very pleased.  After a full day of work, and with meeting for a proper purpose, as well as scoffing and chatting ... and the new victim being veggie ... made this the perfect tea.  Easy, tasty, quick and forgiving as I had faffing to do as it cooked.   Used veg from the veg box, so rang the changes from peppers and bamboo shoots etc etc.  Predictably was too busy chatting to remember to take pic of actual dinner - but, given that I am incapable of cooking for 2 here are the 5 lunches which have now been stowed in the freezer for another day.

So, my recipe today:-

1 tbsp peanut oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 tbsp red Thai curry paste
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 sweet potato, diced
Handful green beans, chopped
Some mushrooms, chopped
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tin coconut milk
water
Big handful of chard - toughest stems chopped off, leaves chopped into big strips
1/2 tsp sugar (to taste, when I tasted it, it was slightly too hot and sour, you might not need it, you might want more)
To serve:-
Jasmine rice (cooked in rice cooker - cook to packet instructions)

1.  Fry onion gently in peanut oil, for a couple of minutes.  Set rice off cooking (follow packet instructions, or chuck in a rice maker with the right amount of water and ignore 'til done).
2.  Add curry paste, garlic diced sweet potato and mushrooms, stir round for a while.
3.  Add green beans, stir in.
4.  Add chick peas, coconut milk, and water - simmer for a bit (about 15 minutes).  Add water if it looks like it's going dry.
5.  When veg is soft enough to put the tip of the knife in, add chard, allow to soften for 5 minutes .. ish.
6. Squirt of lime, or lemon if you have it.  Scoff

Newest victim claimed to enjoy it.  I hope so, and hope to victimise them more in the future.

Thai chicken curry

A few days ago we had a trip to Rusholme to stock up on spices, and found a BIG bag of Thai curry paste.  So we had to try it.  Lovely.

So, tonight, I was going to make a veggie Thai curry,  but victim suggested prawn.  I didn't fancy prawns, so we ended up with chicken and assorted vegetables.  It was delicious.  Victim declared it too hot for me, and had some creme fraiche.  Wuss!  I could feel the heat, but scoffed the lot.

I have decided to try to be a tiny bit more official with recipes, separating out the ingredients and methods, let me know if you prefer this - or hate it!


Serves 4:  Approx 30 minutes prep time:  Approx: 395 calories per portion:  Approx:  £1.35 per portion


Ingredients:

1/2 tbsp peanut oil
2 skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp curry paste
1 crushed garlic clove
Vegetables eg. spring onions, orange pepper, small asian aubergine/courgette things, green beans, string beans, mushrooms, beansprouts
Tin coconut milk

Method:

1. Fry bite sized pieces of chicken breast in peanut oil for a few seconds.  Use a wok or decent sized shallow pan so that you can get everything in.
2. Add curry paste and garlic.
3. Add chopped vegetables, except beansprouts, turn over a few times and then add a cup of water.
4. Simmer for a bit, add coconut milk, simmer some more until vegetables are a bit soft and chicken is cooked through.
5. Stir in big handfuls of beansprouts and turn over in sauce for a minute 'til they are heated through.
6. Serve over thai jasmine rice.

Red Thai Chicken Curry

It may be pretty standard - but we like it!  Chop onion, celery, red pepper, green beans, mushrooms, some garlicky beans found in a Chinese supermarket - and saute in peanut oil with crushed chili and big spoonful of red thai curry paste (yes I have made my own often, but this is quicker), add diced chicken breast - turn a few times and tin of coconut milk and about the same of chicken stock.  Check seasoning - add fish sauce if you need salt, chili if you want heat.  Simmer for 15 minutes (ish) - meanwhile cook jasmine rice.  3 minutes before serving threw in handful of frozen peas.  Serve, scoff - would be nice to add fresh coriander (if you like it) and a squirt of lime juice.  Tasty said me and victim - quick, easy, gluten and lactose free to boot.

National Vegetarian Week: Day 1: Butternut Squash and Chickpea Thai Curry

Well, victim moaned - how predictable is that - but actually it was really nice and fresh.  Briefly soften 1 onion or 2 spring onions, add garlic and Red Thai curry paste - added diced butternut squash, red pepper and chopped mushrooms.  Chuck in tin of coconut milk, and about the same of water.  Season with black pepper, and a little red chili if you like it hot.  Add drained tin of chickpeas - simmer.  After about 15-20 minutes, when the butternut squash is soft add handful of baby spinach - stir until it is just wilted - serve with Jasmine rice.

Other news - Jack - the cat has been off wandering for 2 days, which is not like him - but returned somewhat squeaky in the middle of last night.  He's still being a bit clingy, but I think he's fine - and had just got himself locked in somewhere.  Sophie and Rosemary are still resolutely broody, despite our best efforts to de-nest them. And, hurray hurray - pizza oven arrives Friday.  Have to go to a Ball Friday night, but pizza party on Saturday sounds likely.

Thai red chicken curry

Trying to work on my presentation - but obviously some way to go!  However, was fresh and delish - addition of lime juice in last few seconds essential to add that extra zing.  Also, pic looks like curry is sat in a puddle of pond water.  The pond water is the curry sauce and is the bit which holds the flavour, but like a gravy spreads all over the plate.  Victim gave it 8/10 ... but that's sour grapes cos she prefers green curry (too hot for me often).  Recipe - soften chopped onions in peanut oil (don't use olive oil the flavours clash), stir in 1-2 tbsps thai curry paste (this time I used bought, some brands are good, some less good - home made is fresher, but time consuming - I did add some more crushed garlic and finely chopped red chilli).  Add chicken, just starting cooking process - no real need to brown, just stop it from sticking -  if it starts sticking add half a cup of water over a high heat and use a fish slice to
lift stickings from the bottom of the pan.  Add veg - red pepper, courgette, mushrooms and green beans tonight - could have included carrots, peas, sweetcorn, aubergine, butternut squash, kholrabi etc etc.  Stir in 1 tin coconut milk & rinse tin with about half a s much water - add that too  - add splash of fish sauce.  Simmer, covered, or put in hottish oven for 20+ mins.  Squeeze of fresh lime - jobs a good'un.  Served here with Thai jasmine rice.  Could've added thai basil and/or coriander - but none to hand tonight.