Slow-Cooker Jamaican Curried Chicken

I made this slow-cooker dish for dinner tonight and my husband loved it! If you want to add more heat you can use a Scotch bonnet pepper (I used a Jalapeno, including the seeds and I found it had enough heat for me). I put everything together in a large bowl the night before and then placed it in the slow-cooker in the morning and left it on low all day (8 hours). Serve it with some roasted sweet peppers and a mixed greens & bean salad.

Ingredients:

Skinless chicken thighs, bone in (for extra flavour) I used about 10 thighs

½ can ( 200 ml) coconut milk

1 onion cut in 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks

Ground pepper to taste

1 cup good quality strained tomatoes (I used the Molisana brand in a jar)

·  3 tablespoons tomato paste

·  1 Scotch bonnet pepper seeded and chopped (this is VERY hot---I used a Jalapeno pepper for a little less kick, seeds and all, sliced, but if you want extra heat, use the Scotch bonnet

·  2 tablespoons curry powder

·  1 tablespoon dried oregano

·  1 tablespoon ground ginger

·  3 cloves garlic minced or 1 tablespoon garlic powder

·  2 teaspoons ground allspice ( or pinch of nutmeg and dash of cinnamon)

·  2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:

In slow cooker, combine all ingredients except flour & parsley. Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender, about 8 to 9  hours.

Whisk flour with 3 tbsp water until smooth; stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until thickened, about 15 minutes. Garnish with parsley (if using).  

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi with Tomato Sauce

We watched a program tonight where they made Gnudi (a version of the word "nude" in Italian). It is called that because it is like a pasta dish without the pasta, so "nude":) Sounds delicious, so I have put together my own version of the recipe with some changes. There is no salt in this recipe as we are going very low sodium these days, but Parmesan is a "salty" cheese, so I don't find the lack of salt is a big deal. I have gone with low fat ricotta to reduce the amount of saturated fat and I have decreased the amount of Parmesan cheese and eggs for the same reason!

Ingredients:

Pomodoro Sauce to pour over the finished gnudi (you can make it from scratch or buy the bottled stuff to make this a lot easier!)

2 eggs
1 (454 gram) tub low fat ricotta
6 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup baby spinach, blanched, squeezed dry and chopped
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Semolina flour or all-purpose flour, for coating
Fresh basil leaves (optional) 

Directions:

Bring large pot of water to a boil.

Beat eggs with whisk. Add ricotta, olive oil, Parmesan cheese. Stir with wooden spoon to mix. Stir in spinach. Stir in flour, just until smooth. If it doesn’t hold its shape as you form the balls, add more flour to the dough.

Roll into 1 1/2-inch balls. Transfer to large baking tray and lightly toss with semolina or flour so they don’t stick. (Makes about 35 gnudi.)
Drop into simmering water. When gnudi start to float, cook another 1 minute. Total cook time is about 3 minutes. Remove gnudi with slotted spoon, blotting with paper towel to remove excess water.
To serve, spoon Pomodoro Sauce into pasta bowl, top with 4 to 6 gnudi. Top with more Pomodoro Sauce. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. If you have fresh basil on hand, place a couple of the leaves on top.

Pumpkin Soup

I have an extra (large) can of pumpkin puree that I did not use at Christmas for my pumpkin pie, so I have decided to make a pumpkin soup. It has been cool and rainy here the past few days and a warm soup just gets the heat back into your bones!  We are doing low sodium in my household from here on in, so there is no added salt in this recipe. It is also vegan. We use certified organic ingredients for the best quality and flavour.

 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large can of pure pumpkin puree (796 ml)
• 1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1 large, sweet red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, washed, trimmed and chopped (don't peel)
• 4 large or 6 medium garlic cloves, pressed or minced (or 2 tbsp garlic powder)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp dried hot chili peppers (optional) 
• Freshly ground black pepper and 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• ½ cup low fat, plain yogurt (optional)
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• Directions:
• heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed dutch oven/saucepan, over medium heat
• add chopped onion, peppers and carrots and cook, stirring until the vegetables are soft
• add garlic and cinnamon and chili peppers; cook for another minute
• add vegetable broth and water and stir well until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer
• stir in freshly ground black pepper and parsley and cook on low for about 20 minutes. 
• ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of yogurt