Tahini and Roasted Walnut Oil Salad Dressing

1/2 c Tahini
1/2 c Roasted Walnut Oil***
1/2 c Water
1/4 c Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp of Lemon juice
2 tsp of minced fresh garlic
2 tsp of minced fresh ginger


*** I bought a Trio pack from Trader Joe's that consists of Roasted Walnut Oil, Roasted Pistachio Oil, and Roasted Hazelnut Oil. You may use regular Olive Oil as a substitute.

Black Bean Sesame Noodles with Edamame & Chicken

Ingredients:

• 3-4 ounces Organic Black Bean Spaghetti Noodles from Explore Asian
• ¼ cup all natural peanut butter
• 1/2 tbsp. fresh grated ginger
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp. honey
• 1 bell pepper, sliced thinly
• 1 cup cooked, organic edamame
• 1-2 scallions, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro

Optional: sesame seeds + red hot chili flakes

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to instructions.

In a large bowl combine peanut butter, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and honey. Toss warm noodles into the sauce and top with the peppers, edamame, chopped up scallions, and cilantro. Gently toss everything together until well combined and all the noodles are lightly coated in the sauce.

Top with sesame seeds and red hot chili flakes.

Makes 3 servings

Lemongrass Chicken Coconut Curry

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, chopped (seeded if you want less heat)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 stalks of lemon grass, cut into large chunks and bruised
• 3 tsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and either sliced thin or grated
• 1 Tb sugar
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into large chunks
• 2 stalks green onion, sliced
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 2-3 cups of water or stock
• 1 cup sugar snap peas or broccoli
• 1 cup carrots
• 1 Tb sriracha
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1-2 Tb coconut oil
• Lime wedges, for garnish
• 1 green onion, sliced for garnish

Directions

1. Saute onion, jalapeno in coconut oil until onion begins to soften. Then add garlic and lemongrass. Toss around in the oil for another minute or so until garlic begins to caramelize.
2. Then add spices (curry powder, garam masala and turmeric), fresh ginger and sugar. Toss to coat.
3. Add cubed chicken and season with salt and pepper. Toss chicken in the other flavors and allow to lightly brown on the outside.
4. Add your veggies. Mushrooms, peppers, peas and green onion. (Note* I added my broccoli until the very end to avoid over cooking). Toss to coat with everything.
5. Add your liquid, coconut milk and 2 cups of stock or water. There should be enough liquid to lightly cover everything, so you may need to adjust accordingly. Also add a few dashes of sriracha.
6. Cover and cook on medium-low until chicken is cooked through. About 20 minutes. When done, add lime juice. 
7. Garnish with green onion and lime wedges.

Moroccan Chickpea Soup (Harira)

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

The recipe yields about 2 quarts of soup. Leftovers keep for a few days in the refrigerator. Or they can be frozen for up to six months. Find the original recipe here: http://www.kitchenriffs.com/2014/01/moroccan-chickpea-soup-harira.html

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used a cooked whole chicken) ($5.99)
• 1 medium red onion ($.90)
• 1 rib celery ($1.00/Bunch)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (may substitute butter/Ghee; see Notes)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped ($.89)
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped ($.89)
• 2 cans Organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed ($2.50)
• 3/4 cup dried lentils, rinsed ($1.19)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger
• Pinch of saffron ($4.99 from World Market)
• 6+ cups water (I used water and Organic Chicken Broth I had leftover)
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes ($.88)
• 1/2 cup small soup pasta (I used Divinci Orzo ($2.19/bag))
• Squirt of Sriracha sauce for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Dice the chicken thighs and onions into 1/2 inch cubes. Wash the celery and peel off the strings, then chop the celery into pieces a bit smaller than 1/2 inch.
2. Heat a 4-quart soup kettle or Dutch oven on medium heat. When hot, add the oil and let it warm about 15 seconds. Add the diced chicken and season with salt. Sauté for a few minutes until it begins to brown.
3. Add the chopped onion and celery. Cook until the onion is soft but not cooked through (about 5 minutes).
4. Wash the parsley and cilantro, and chop the leaves until you have 2 tablespoons of each. Set aside.
5. Drain the chickpeas into a colander and rinse. Set aside.
6. Sort through the lentils, looking for dirt or pebbles. Rinse and set aside.
7. By this point, the onion should be soft. Add the cinnamon, turmeric, dried ginger, and saffron (if using) to the chicken and onion mixture. Stir briefly to incorporate.
8. Add the water and the diced tomatoes. Add the chickpeas and lentils. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then set a timer for 30 minutes.
9. At the 30-minute mark, taste the soup and add salt if necessary. Take a look at the liquid level, and add a bit if necessary. Add the pasta, stir, and simmer for another 15 minutes. Stir from time to time so the pasta doesn’t settle on the bottom and stick.
10. Garnish with chopped parsley and/or cilantro, if desired. Garnish with Sriracha sauce for a bit of heat.

Notes from the website:

• If you were making this soup in Morocco, you’d probably use a fermented butter called smen for browning the meat, onions, and celery in Steps 2 and 3. Smen is somewhat similar to Indian ghee (which you could use as a substitute ingredient). But olive oil is also widely used in Moroccan cooking—and easier for cooks in the West to obtain.
• BTW, smen develops more flavor as it ages (like some wines). If people can afford to, they often allow it to age for years before using it.
• Although there’s meat in this dish, it’s more a seasoning than a significant ingredient. Recipes for Harira most often feature lamb, though chicken and beef are often used too.
• How much water to use in this dish is a bit of a judgment call. It depends in part on how thick you want the soup to be. As written, the recipe produces soup with a fairly thick consistency, so you may want to dilute it. Of course, your yield amount for this recipe will depend on how much liquid you end up using.
• Real saffron is ideal for this dish (though in much of Morocco, people commonly use the artificial stuff). You can leave this ingredient out if you wish, though it does add a nice undertone.
• Traditionally, Harira is thickened with a mixture of flour and water (used instead of, or in addition to, dried pasta). If you’d like to try this, just mix 2 or 3 tablespoons of flour with 3 to 4 tablespoons of water. Then add this mixture to the soup about 5 minutes before serving.
• In parts of Morocco, the flour-and-water thickener is mixed a day ahead of time. This allows the mixture to acquire an interesting flavor that’s almost yeast-like. In fact, I suspect that some wild airborne yeast cells do settle on the mixture and begin fermenting.
• Some cooks like to add an egg or two to Harira shortly before serving it (the eggs cook to the consistency of those found in Hot and Sour Soup or Egg Drop soup).
• Some recipes also call for adding lemon juice right at the end. This provides a nice sharp note, and is worth experimenting with.
• Sriracha sauce would not be used in Morocco. Instead, people would use harissa—a flavorful sauce made from hot chiles. You can buy commercially prepared harissa (or make your own). But since Sriracha is a pretty common pantry staple these days, that’s what I specify for this dish. Its flavor is different from that of harissa, but it works well.
• Although Harira commonly is served as a starter dish, it’s hearty enough for a main course. Just add a salad and/or some bread, and you’re good to go.

Asian Fried Quinoa with Kale

http://crandlecakes.com/2014/01/09/asian-style-fried-quinoa-with-vegetables-gf/

Serves 1

2 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
¼ cup onion, diced
1 garlic clove, sliced
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups thinly sliced kale
¼ cup chopped carrots (about 1-cm cubes works well)
¼ cup frozen green peas
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 egg
1 Tablespoon soy sauce (use the gluten-free kind if desired)
1 teaspoon sesame oil for garnish (optional)
Sriracha or sambal oelek

1. In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sweat onion for 1-2 minutes, then add garlic, pepper flakes, and ginger. When translucent but not browned, add carrots and peas. When peas are bright green and no longer icy and carrots are beginning to soften (about 4-5 minutes), add kale and wilt slightly, about 3 minutes (for softer kale, cook up to 6 minutes). At this stage, I added about 2 Tablespoons of water because the vegetables were beginning to stick. If you need to add water at this stage, make sure it fully evaporates before moving on.

2. When vegetables are softened, add quinoa, stir, and let sit 1 minute to brown a bit. Stir and let sit again, 1 more minute.

3. When quinoa is warmed through and crisped on some spots, make a well in the middle of the pan and crack the egg into it. Scramble the egg in the well and then mix into the quinoa (about 30 seconds.)

4. Just as egg finishes cooking, stir in soy sauce and remove from heat.

5. Serve immediately with a drizzle of sesame oil and sriracha or sambal oelek.

Easy Thai Coconut Butternut Squash Soup

Makes about 10 cups

Squash roasting time: 45 minutes

Prep time: 10 minutes

Soup cook time: 15+ minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash ($1.75)
• 2 tablespoons of oil, divided (olive, vegetable, or canola)
• 1 onion, diced ($1.50)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 apple, peeled & chopped ($.79)
• 2 teaspoons of ground ginger (or 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger)
• 2 heaping teaspoons of Thai red curry paste (more or less depending on your spice preference) ($3.69/jar)
• 32oz Organic chicken broth ($3.49)
• 1 can (14-ounce) Organic Light coconut milk ($3.39)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Toasted sweetened shredded coconut, for serving – optional (but highly recommended!)

Instructions:

• Roast the Butternut Squash (This can be done days in advance) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Halve squash lengthwise and scrape out all the seeds. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, brush the cut flesh with about 1 tablespoon of oil, and place flesh side down on foil. Roast squash until it is very soft – depending on the size about 45 minutes to an hour.  Allow Squash to cool for about 10 minutes and then scoop flesh out of the peel into a bowl.  Use immediately in soup, or place into a sealed container and refrigerate for about a week or freeze up to 2 months.

• Make the Soup. (While the squash is roasting-if doing this in one day) In a large pot, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, onion, garlic and peeled apple and sauté on medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until onions are soft.  Add Thai red curry paste and ginger and stir briskly for about 30 seconds. Next add the broth, coconut milk and the roasted squash and simmer for at least 10 minutes. I simmered mine for 1 hour.  

Purée soup with an immersion blender (or in batches in a blender or food processor) – and serve.

For serving: Optional— Top soup with toasted sweetened shredded coconut. I used cilantro instead. 

{Slow Cooker} Coconut Curry Chicken Thighs

Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Chicken Thighs from Shared Appetite

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7 hours

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

4 carrots, peeled and diced

2 bell peppers, diced

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

2 large cloves garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon fresh ginger (about the same size as 2 cloves of garlic)

1 jalapeno, seeded and halved

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

2 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 tablespoon curry powder

3/4 tablespoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

Cooked white or brown rice

Naan, for garnish

Plain Greek Yogurt, for garnish

Cilantro, for garnish

Directions

1) Spray the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Add chicken, carrots, and bell peppers.

2) Combine onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, tomato paste, coconut milk, salt, curry powder, garam masala, and turmeric in a food processor until mostly smooth. Pour sauce mixture over chicken. Cook on low for about 6 hours.

3) Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl until dissolved. Pour mixture into the slow cooker, stir to combine, and cook for one more hour, or until sauce thickens to desired consistency.

4) Serve coconut curry chicken over rice, garnished with plain greek yogurt, naan, and cilantro