No Chicken Needed For This Curry

  

Looking for a light, vegetable-based curry, that packs quite the flavor? Nicki Sizemore, who wrote the new cookbook Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for this amazing dish, which is based on red curry paste, onion, garlic and ginger. Nicki says she also uses coconut milk and peanut butter to give it a creamier texture. She uses cauliflower, but Nicki says you can use most other vegetables create this curry, which is nutritious and delicious.

Ingredients

Aromatics

• 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste

Slow cooker

• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (preferably Red Boat brand)
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 1 large head cauliflower (2 1/2 pounds), cut into 2-inch florets
• 1 pound red potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup canned coconut milk, well stirred
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups frozen cut green beans
• 1/3 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving

• Cooked rice or quinoa
• Coarsely chopped peanuts
• Chopped cilantro
• Sriracha

Superfood Pancakes

 

Especially when you follow this recipe says Kat Ashmore. She worked as an assistant to Martha Stewart and now she's striking out on her own with a new cookbook called Bit Bites. Kat came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for Superfood Pancakes that are actually based on Cauliflower, which really takes on just about everything you send its way. Kat told Tonia she mixes all the ingredients in a blender and only has to fry them for a few minutes. They're way healthier than standard buttermilk pancakes, and just as tasty!

Risotto, Healthy Edition

 

This one is packed full of nutrients and won't weigh you down afterward. But Hannah McKitrick, who runs the website: My Intuitive Health, talked with Tonia's Kitchen about why she wanted this recipe for White Wine Cauliflower Risotto, to taste just like it came from a Tuscan kitchen. Hannah says this risotto, which features Cauliflower Rice as it's base, is fresh, light and packed full of flavor. But so are all of her other recipes. Hannah told Tonia she's on a mission to transform our relationship with food, as much as it relates to our bodies. Healthy ingredients are the key, and Hannah says she has a passion to make every recipe she puts down, special!

For the Cauliflower Risotto

• 8 oz of mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 1 clove of fresh garlic
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 bag of frozen cauliflower rice (2 bags if cooking for more than 2 people)
• 2-3 tbsp of white wine
• 2 oz of goat cheese
• ¼ cup of shredded parmesan

For the Sauce

• 1 cup, packed, of fresh basil about 1 oz
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp of honey
• ¼ cup olive oil (or more to create a sauce consistency)
• 3 ice cubes
• Salt and pepper

• 
  

• For the Chickpeas

  • 1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) strained and patted dry
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Seasonings of choice - (smoked paprika, curry powder, garlic powder, oregano etc)
  • Salt and pepper

  
  

• For the Chickpeas: 

  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and place the chickpeas that have been strained and patted dry onto the tray. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any seasoning you want (I like curry powder and smoked paprika). Bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown and crispy, stirring once halfway through. 

  For the Bowl: 

  Heat a medium pot over medium high heat. Add a tbsp of olive oil and the sliced mushrooms. Sauté for about 10 minutes until beginning to brown, stirring every few minutes. Meanwhile, snap the ends off of the asparagus and then cut the asparagus into 1 inch pieces. Add the asparagus after the mushrooms have browned, stirring often, and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for one minute. Add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Cook for 1 minute, then add the frozen cauliflower rice. Sauté until the cauliflower has thawed and softened slightly (about 5-7 minutes). Next, add in the cheeses. Season with salt and pepper. Add in a few spoonfuls of the herb sauce, saving some for garnish. 

  For the Sauce: 

  In a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the basil sauce *I add an ice cube to emulsify the mixture and solidify the chlorophyll*. If the mixture looks too thick you can add more olive oil. Taste for seasoning and add more salt/pepper/honey if need be. 

  Serve each plate with a spoonful herb sauce and crispy chickpeas, enjoy!

When Grilling Cauliflower

     

Is there really such a thing as grilled cauliflower? When it's in the skilled hands of Grillmaster Jamie Purviance, you bet! Jamie, who wrote the cookbook Weber's Ultimate Grilling, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to help ring in the summer grilling season, and talk about a delicious side. His cauliflower has a slight east Asian flavor with a Tandoori Crust. He told Tonia that's made up of yogurt and spices. It's interesting, because the Cauliflower takes on the look of a cake, thanks to the golden color it gets from roasting on the grill. 

Tandoori Crust

1/3 cup chopped yellow onion (½ small onion)

3 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¾ cup plain whole milk or low fat Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 head cauliflower, about 1 ¾ pounds Canola oil Herb Chutney

1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

1 cup packed fresh mint leaves

½ small yellow onion, cut into chunks

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 small green chile pepper, such as serrano, seeded

1 tablespoon peeled, finely grated fresh ginger (

½ by 2 inch piece)

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup plain whole milk or low fat Greek yogurt

1.

Prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium heat (350° to 400°F). In a food processor combine the onion and garlic and pulse until finely chopped. Add the lemon juice, yogurt, and all the spices and puree until fairly smooth, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed

2.

Turn the cauliflower stem side up. Insert a small, sharp knife about ½ inch away from the stem and cut around the stem on a diagonal to remove it in one piece. Trim away any remaining leaves and discard them with the stem.

3.

Lightly oil a 10 inch cast iron skillet large enough to hold the cauliflower. Place the cauliflower, stemmed side down, in the skillet. Slather the yogurt mixture all over the cauliflower (some will run into the pan bottom, which is fine).

4.

Drain the wood chips, scatter over the coals or add to the smoker box of a gas grill, and close the lid. When smoke appears, grill the cauliflower in the skillet over indirect medium heat, with the lid closed, until a knife slides easily into the center and the crust is nicely golden brown, 50 to 70 minutes.

5.

If the cauliflower is browning too deeply, tent it with aluminum foil. Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cauliflower to a platter, leaving behind any scorched sauce in the pan (it will taste bitter).

6.

While the cauliflower is cooking, make the chutney. In a food processor combine all the

ingredients except the yogurt and pulse until very finely chopped, stopping to scrape down the bowl sides as needed. Add the yogurt and puree until fairly smooth. To serve, cut the cauliflower into wedges. Serve warm with the chutney.

The photo credit is Ray Kachatorian, and the credit line is: Excerpted from Weber’s Ultimate Grilling © 2019 by Jamie Purviance. Photography © 2019 by Ray Kachatorian. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.