Inspiring (& healthy) recipes for cash-strapped times.

This recipe comes from the book written by Shonda Parker

Quick Chicken and Brown Rice Stove-Top
This recipe does double-duty and saves time and money!

Ingredients:
3 cups brown rice -- dry
7 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken seasoning -- * recipe given
1/2 medium onion -- chopped
2 cups chicken --cubed (optional) * see note
1 can sweet peas 16 oz (or fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup soy sauce, low sodium
2 cups water
6 large potatoes -- cubed
1/2 cup milk or homemade chicken broth

Directions:
Place 3 cups dry brown rice in a large pot. Add 7 cups cold water, 1/2 onion and 2 tablespoons chicken seasoning. Add 6 raw, peeled, cubed potatoes.

Bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer 45 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed, but the rice is tender. Add chicken, (break up pieces) soy sauce, peas, and milk or broth. Mash the cooked potatoes for a thicker sauce. Add up to 2 cups of additional water, broth or milk if too thick. Mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Serving ideas: Serve with fresh whole grain bread, spinach salad and fresh fruit.

*Homemade Chicken Seasoning
Ingredients:
1 cup Nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon tarragon
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 teaspoon sage
2 teaspoon celery seed
2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon onion powder

Directions:
Mix well and store in glass jar tightly closed. Use as a broth or as a seasoning in recipes instead of bouillon.

* The meat is optional, it tastes great without it and we use this for a flavorful side dish or a quick meatless main dish. When I use chicken, I use any leftover cooked chopped chicken or turkey.

* You can use 1-2 cups leftover mashed potatoes instead of cooking raw potatoes.

* If you want to jazz it up a little: you can add mushrooms, carrots or any veggie. Cook until tender (or use leftovers from fridge) add to chicken and rice.

Chicken and Brown Rice Patties
Ingredients:
Take 1/2 of the recipe above, cooked
Add 2 eggs, beaten
1 to 2 cups whole grain flour
2 to 4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional)
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Mix all ingredients well. Make a stiff mixture, adding more flour if necessary.

Place mixture in 1/2 cup amounts on heated non-stick griddle or oiled cast iron frying pan, or baking sheet sprayed with olive oil. (We use a George Foreman electric grill) Cook until browned well on the outside and firm (but not dry) in the middle, about 10 minutes. If using a pan or baking sheet, be sure to flip patties carefully halfway through cooking to brown on both sides.

I adore good old potato and pea curry.

You know the types of mix - cumin, coriander seeds ground, chili, turmeric, etc - your curry mix - or add some garam masala for deeper flavour - onion, garlic, chicken or vegetable stock - a bit of ghee or cream, or just oil --- mmmmmm.

Black mustard seeds, unground, fried with the curry spices add a lovely texture.

Potatoes roughly cut with the skin still on is what I prefer....

Thanks for the recipe, Carrie. Sounds like just the thing to put fuel in the tank! I like the idea of making patties with the left-overs, too. Perfect for a solo household where one tends to always make too much of everything!

Deb.

Curries. Yes! Love 'em, too! And dahls (sp? dals? dhals? ), in all their different varieties. I made a chicken one with yoghurt sauce last night. Very nice, but I still have enough for about 2 more days. Too bad it's un-freezable.

Dhal - yummmmmmmmmm!

I make the Charmaine Solomon one....

I make a variety of Madhur Jaffrey's (& others).

Chickpea curry is great too - with veggies of your choice - I love some spinach in there, though.

I tend to make a very aromatic paste for chickpeas - like the potato and pea one - I forgot to mention cardamon is very important in that one...and with the chickpeas, I think.

And cumin seeds - yummmm!

A bit of roasted sesame oil is fabulous with the chick peas, of course...

DEb

Most of the chick pea recipes I've used tend to be VERY spicey, with tomatoes ... starting with (very) browned onions ... Haven't mixed them with potatoes before. Charmaine's recipe? I might try to find it.

It is a deb recipe...

They WOULD mix well with potatoes, I think, though

Sorry, I misread your post, Deb. Chickpeas & spinach sounds yum! Actually, I just bought a fresh batch of chick peas (for hummus) might try them with spinach. Heathy & yum!

Hey it's spagetti squash time for all of those who haven't tried it.It great a large acorn type squash yellow and ridged slightly is tremdous. Cut it in half , and rub the inside with butter and bake in the over with some freshly ground pepper a topit salt too. Roast till shrunken and the the flesh inside has transformed it self into spagetti type strands. Put on more butter and salt and some lemon too. Eat awhole 1\4.

Mor e advanced chef can sprinkle some nutmeg on the top befor cooking. I usually grate soem fresh ginger on top a sprinkle of red chili the butter first salt and pepper.


Take out the Cranberries that lensds a nice hand to the whole afffair.

That is interesting!
We tried that stuff - boiled it - ewww!

Roastedis a much better flavor to my tastes. If I was to boilit you would want to boil it whole tokeep all the flavor in.

Roasting is always best for squash. I'm making a Moroccan vegetable stew tonight, to use up a few odds and ends. We have some orange cauliflower, pumpkin, tomatoes, onions, chick peas and lentils.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm - forgot lentils!

Lentil soups and stews are lovely. Well - we remembered the RED lentils...

Say could somebody post a simple curry dish recipe, preferably a vegetable curry? I love curry, but the recipes I've found are so complicated.

My favorite "Po' Me" dish is black beans and rice. I'm usually in a hurry so I use canned beans, but if you have time use the dried. Flavor them with lots of garlic, onion, red pepper and cumin.

I've bought a couple of cookbooks for my daughter, who'll be moving out in the spring, after she graduates U. (cookbooks with easy recipes for the young lady without much interest in cooking).

This seems like a fairly simple recipe for a curried vegetable stir-fry, Swimpy. We like Brussels sprouts, but for those who don't, broccoli would probably work just as well.

2 cups water
1 1/4 cups quick cooking pearl barley
1 cup fresh brussels sprouts, halved or frozen Brussels sprouts thawed and halved
1 cup cold water
4 tsp. corn starch
1 tsp instant vegetable boullion granules
nonstick cooking spray
2 medicum red, yellor and/or green peppers, cut into bite size strips
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
1 cup sliced carrots
1/4 cup peanuts

Boil the 2 cups of water. Add barley, simmering until tender. Drain, if necessary. Cook Brussels sprouts for 3 minutes. Drain. Stir together 1 cup water, cornstarch, curry powder and boulion granules to make the sauce.

Spray wok or skillet with nonstick coating. Preheat over medium-high. Stir-fry the peppers and green onion for 1 minute. Add the Brussels sprouts and carrots; stir-fry for 3 minutes. Push away from the centre of the pan. Stir the sauce ingredients and add to the centre of the pan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir all ingredients together to coat. Cook and stir for another 2 minues. Serve over barley and sprinkle with peanuts.

Here's a crockpot of slow cooker recipe for potato and cauliflower dal with spicy shallots.

1 cup yellow split peas (chana dal) soaked, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp clarified butter or veg. oil
2 onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced gingerroot
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3 cups veg. broth or water
3 potaotes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 small cauliflower cut into florets or 4 cups frozen and thawed

Heat clarified butter or veg. oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook until soft. Add garlic, gingerroot, curry, salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for one minute. Add veg. broth or water and bring to boil. Place potatoes, cauliflower and soaked peas in slow cooker. Pour onion mixture overtop and stir.

Cover and cook on low for 8 - 10 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours.

For the spiced shallots you need:

2 tbsp clarified butter or veg. oil
2 shallots thinly sliced or 8 green onions, white part only, thinly sliced
1/4 to 1/2 tsp chili pepper
1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar of lemon juice.

In a skillet, heat the clarified butter or oil over med-high. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until crisp. Remove from heat. Stir in chilies, cilantro and balsamic vinegar or lemon juice.

Ladel dal into individual bowls, top with shallots and stir to blend flavour.

My favorite po' me dish is grits, packaged as quik grits, rather like polenta, for breakfast, with some grated cheese, almost any kind and some habanero sauce tossed in, with perhaps a tad of butter or olive oil.

But then, I like polenta too, with a nice mushroom sauce.

I know I am mentioning carbohydrates, and I don't give a damn.

No recipes tonight. Manana, and I will pay attention to your curries... love curry dishes, usually.