Coconut-Lime Mango Quinoa Salad

This is so yummy! I saved this a while ago on Pinterest and in an effort to make something different this week with my sweet husband's resounding, repeating questioning, "what are we going to eat this week?" Yup. "This week." Not like tomorrow, or today for lunch, this week. I admit it is helpful to figure it all out before we wander through the grocery store but I mean really...so worried about this stomach! 

Chopped ingredients for the quinoa salad

I'm not usually a fan of quinoa on it's own so I'm always a little prejudice when it's the base of any recipe. I should learn by now it's always delicious when creatively mixed with other things. The original recipe can be found here on Layers of Happiness' blog. 

{Coconut-Lime Mango Quinoa Salad}

Ingredients:
2 cups quinoa, uncooked, rinsed very well and drained

1 cup fresh mango chunks, about 1 mango
1/2 large red onion, diced
1 medium-large red pepper, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded, sweetened coconut
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1 cup golden raisins  I removed raisins from my recipe as I'm not a fan, but feel free to add them to yours!
9 oz. edamame/1 container from the vegetarian/vegan aisle at my grocer but you can add up to 2 cups

Juice of 5 limes
3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

*You will need 1 very large bowl to mix the quinoa, toppings and juice/vinegar. I used my large (4 qt) pyrex bowl with lid.

Directions:

1. Prepare the quinoa according to the package directions. Make sure that you wash your quinoa thoroughly. This process took me several rinses before the water above the quinoa when added to my bowl was very nearly clean. The package instructions will likely have you use water or broth to cook the quinoa and I simply used water. You don't need the extra flavor with all the goodies you'll add!

2. While the quinoa is coming to a boil cut/dice & prepare the remaining ingredients (less the limes and balsamic vinegar) in a medium size bowl. Mix together and set aside.

3. Juice your five limes and set aside in a bowl or juicer.

4. Once your quinoa has sit for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and pour into your very large bowl. Add the chopped ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour the lime juice through a strainer over the quinoa and mix well again. Finally, add the 3 Tbsp. of balsamic vinegar and mix thoroughly again. 

Completed salad!

The original recipe says to enjoy immediately and that it will last for 5 days as well so I really imagine it's fine to make ahead of time. I devoured several spoonfuls just to make sure it was indeed as yummy as each previous bite then simply let it cool before placing on the top and putting it in the fridge. I think the next time I make this I will add a second mango and stick to the 9oz. of edamame.  This makes a great potluck side dish but be sure to note that it contains nuts! It would also be a great "bed" for grilled chicken.  The possibilities and flavors are endless. 

Enjoy!!

Would you like some salad with that Creamy Avocado Dressing?

Creamy Avocado Dressing:

2 Organic Avocados, ripe
1 1/2 limes, juiced
1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
2 scallions, chopped
A handful of fresh cilantro
Sea salt
1-2 Tbsp. Grape Seed Oil

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, vitamix or blender. Blend until Smooth. Store in an airtight container and use saran wrap pressed down into the creamy avocado goodness to prevent browning.

Want to create the meal above?

2 handfuls of organic, washed spinach
1/2 cup of cooked brown rice
1-2 cups of roasted butternut squash, slightly heated from fridge, I don't enjoy super cold food
3 Tbsp. of Creamy Avocado Dressing

Chop. Slice. Enjoy!
*Don't forget to pack yourself a breath mint...helllo garlic :)

Okay, or Hermosa Beach for this Gelato...

{Maple Bacon - Chocolate & Orange - Salted Chocolate & Caramel}

I'll move to Portland, OR for this meal alone. 

Yup. I actually did dream about that MaplePig. @OvenandShaker #foodporn pic.twitter.com/acDhCMwmas
— alice.RICHES.snow (@aliceRICHESsnow) May 2, 2014

Chinese Fettuccine

A new favorite! I can't begin to tell you how good this pasta dish is.  I found it on Pinterest and I've tweaked it to reflect some enhanced proportions and one vital missing ingredient.  I dubbed this Chinese Fettuccine because the noodles I used for my first round were thick and reminded me of the "normal" italian style fettucine noodles [usually paired with alfredo sauce]. I have since tried this recipe with other brands and types of rice noodles and now I can't decide on whether or not I like it with straight cut or vermicelli rice noodles [Asian Angel Hair :)]...you'll want to have this dish more than once [in a week] so try it both ways and decide for yourself. These noodles are easiest to find by the brand A Taste of Thai but you probably have an Asian food market nearby that should carry various types of rice noodles.

The original recipe can be found here. Here's the best part about this recipe, it's incredibly fast and so easy you'll only need the time it takes to boil the noodles.

This recipe is a vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free, delicious wonder!  It's that time of year again for our household to go vegetarian in observance of the Lenten season. This dish will appear several times during our meat-free weeks until Easter and I'm thrilled! 

{Chinese Fettuccine}

Ingredients:

1  tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce, gluten free
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
3 heaping tablespoons peanut butter 
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed, we prefer to use a garlic press for this sauce. 


1/2 of 1 package of rice noodles [1/2 pkg of straight cut noodles = the above amount of sauce  - 1/3 pkg of vermicelli noodles double the sauce recipe above and adjust as needed below]

 3 scallions, finely chopped
¼ cup chopped cilantro, chopped
¼ cup chopped dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 lime, sliced and ready to squeeze

Equipment:
Sauce or stock pot to boil water, large enough to submerge noodles
Garlic press, if using
Fine grater
Chef's knife & cutting board
Large bowl 
Whisk
Tongs

Directions:

Combine the first [7] ingredients in a large bowl and whisk gently then vigorously to combine. The mixture will come eventually together and become deep golden in color. Taste. Resist the urge to devour through a straw before you've made the noodles...

Read the back of your package of rice noodles and prepare according to the product directions. The directions should be something along the lines of boil water [with salt] and drop noodles in boiling water and cook anywhere from 4-7 minutes. **These noodles are extremely sticky once submerged so make sure you use your tongs to separate them, another way to avoid them sticking together is to salt your water and add the noodles slowly. Stir the noodles frequently to keep them from sticking together. 

While your water is boiling and your noodles are cooking chop and set aside the scallions, cilantro and peanuts. Combine with sesame seeds and set aside. 

Once your noodles are finished, drain and quickly add to the large bowl congaing the sauce. Use your tongs to mix the hot noodles with the sauce and make sure your noodles are drenched in goodness. Add the scallions, cilantro and peanuts [reserve some for serving] and mix again. 

Serve on a plate or bowl and squeeze a generous amount of lime over each serving. Garish with the remaining chopped accoutrements and a lime wedge. Enjoy!

Barefoot Contessa's Vecchia Bettola

Well my friends, it's a wonder we don't eat this meal every week. I will admit to having plenty on hand in the freezer because it is our go-to for pasta night.  We've made this a few different ways in several different stainless steel pans or Le Creuset dishes and I've had successful outcomes every time. Barefoot Contessa never disappoints! 

[Everything you see I owe to spaghetti] - Sophia Loren

The key to any recipe lies with your ingredients. There is a reason why America's Test Kitchen spends so much time testing base ingredients to find the winners and the spit that out right now losers. Now, they don't have my preferred brand on their site but I'd follow Ina to the ends of the earth so I went with her choice brand of canned tomatoes #11, San Marzano tomatoes (if you have a moment peruse her good ingredients page, life changing). 

The key to a good pasta dish is of course the pasta.  We are snobby about a lot of ingredients but we have found a lot of brands make us plenty happy.  I have not played with my pasta maker extensively but when we do, amazing (mostly because the "it will take you all day" stigma and I'd rather spend all day making dacquoise). We enjoy this pasta with any type of noodle that will hold on to the sauce. Ruffles. Rontini. Penne. Yum. A nice addition to this recipe is also using a tri-color pasta.  The bottom line, this sauce would be wonderful with fresh ravioli, spaghetti and even tortellini. Just make it.  

Since this makes such a large portion we tend to serve the pasta in a bowl and add the sauce to our individual servings but when we use this dish while entertaining we mix it all together. We also found that it does best the next day if the pasta and sauce are separate. This sauce also does extremely well in the freezer. Let cool completely and store in the freezer for up to 3 months...we've never been able to wait any longer than 2 months before we have it again so I'm just assuming here. 

{Vecchia Bettola "Vodka Sauce"}

Ingredients:

Olive oil

1 med. - lg.  onion [Spanish if you can find it or sweet], coarsely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, diced

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper [optional] - this makes this sauce spicy so leave it out if you wish

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

3/4 cup of vodka - Contessa uses 1 cup but I wasn't a fan with the powerful punch of flavor

2 (28oz) cans peeled plum tomatoes - best brand: San Marzano, red, white and green can. See the link above to Barefoot Contessa's good ingredients page for an example.

Coarse salt

Black pepper

3/4 - 1lb of the pasta of your choice

2 Tbsp of fresh oregano finely chopped + 2 Tbsp for serving

1 cup of heavy cream

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese + some shaved pieces for serving. We are huge fans of Pecorino! Just about any will do.

Equipment:

Le Crueset or lg. saute pan [with a tight fitting lid or a decent amount of aluminum foil, I have been successful with both]
Blender [I found an emersion blender does not work well in this application]
Various wooden spoons and a spatula

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 deg. F.

Drain your tomatoes through a sieve or colander and set aside.

Swirl olive oil around your pan 2-3 times (about ⅛ cup or less) and heat over medium heat. Add your chopped onion and garlic, simmer for 5 minutes until the onion becomes translucent.  Add your red pepper flakes (if using) and dried oregano and cook for another minute.  Add the vodka to the pan, scrap up any brown bits and cook until the liquid in the mixture is reduced by about half. 

Now! You better be wearing an apron for this next part!

Crush the tomatoes into the pan using your hands [best tools in the kitchen]. Add 2 tsp. of salt and a dash of pepper. Stir to combine and cover the pan with your lid or aluminum foil, make sure you have a tight seal and bake in the oven for 1 ½ hours. 

While the sauce is cooking prep you pasta according to the package directions. We prefer al dente in this house but cook the pasta to your liking. Drain and reserve a small amount of pasta water, set aside pasta and water.

Remove the sauce from the oven and you can let it cool or get started right away with blending your mixture. Just remember to leave the top of your blender propped slightly open to allow for the heat to escape during the mixing process. Failure to do so will end with a hot mess. I have an extra insert in my top that I hold partially out of the hole to allow the steam to escape, this way I can work immediately after the mixture comes out of the oven.
Blend the mixture in batches, using your spatula to get all of the tomato goodness out of your pan. 

Return your blended mixture back to the pan and begin to reheat and medium-low.  Add 2 Tbsp. of the fresh oregano and swirl the ¾ - 1 cup of heavy cream to the pan. Mix together well and add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer covered for another 10 minutes. 

Toss the pasta in the reserved pasta water if it has started to dry out if not, skip this step. Add the pasta to your pan and toss evenly with the sauce.  Stir in your ½ cup of Parmesan cheese. Try to hold yourself back. 

Serve with the remaining fresh oregano and shaved Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Chinese Fettuccine, coming soon!

Chinese Fettuccine. #foodporn So good it hurts. Will be blogged about shortly! pic.twitter.com/JCmoIKjEVp
— alice.RICHES.snow (@aliceRICHESsnow) February 27, 2014

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Holy Red Velvet. #cupcake #foodporn pic.twitter.com/OVQCCOkefo
— alice.RICHES.snow (@aliceRICHESsnow) February 16, 2014

Roasted Root Vegetables & Goat Cheese Tart with Balsamic Syrup

This one is an oldie but a goodie! It takes a little while to roast the vegetables but the key to this recipe is to keep your veggies al dente so don't let them get soggy. Ew. Soggy is never a word you want someone to use when describing any of your meals.  

This is a great dish for a starter but also wonderful for a meal.  My mouth is watering just thinking about this tart. It's creamy and packed with flavor.  For this recipe, you need to account for the prep time to reduce the balsamic vinegar and wine and baking the pie crust.  Feel free to play around with the types of root vegetables you use for this tart. Sweet potatoes and butternut squash are great additions or substitutions. 

[I often feel better making a dish that highlights the understated veggie. It counterbalances all the recipes I have with butter and cream] - Alice Snow :)

If you plan to use this recipe as a starter/appetizer, consider using pre-made puff pastry cups as this would be a nightmare to have people try to eat while walking around your house (terribly close to your light colored furniture) balancing a glass of wine and a plate. Eek! I have also used mini-tart pans that work great as individual servings. You can serve this tart warm out of the oven or allow the tart to reach room temperature.  If you've reached the end of the recipe and all of your ingredients are cool, pop the entire thing back in the oven, low heat until you're happy with the temperature of your dish. 

                {Roasted Vegetable & Goat Cheese Tart}

Ingredients:

1 recipe for pie crust, full baked OR 1 prepared pie crust such a pepperidge farms, fully baked

3-4 large carrots, chopped

3 parsnips, chopped

1 med. beet OR 1 small can of sliced beets, pickled

Salt (pepper optional)
1 Tbs each of fresh, thyme and rosemary
Olive oil
¾ cup crumbled goat cheese

Balsamic syrup - Recipe below, you can also purchase pre-made syrup at most specialty stores. 
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup red wine [Cabernet or Merlot]
½ cup white sugar

Equipment:

Sauce pan for syrup

10" Fluted tart/quiche pan with removable bottom (example seen here)

Pie weights or a enough dried beans to fill your tart pan use with aluminum foil

Rolling pin for crust

Pastry blender or Food processor for the crust

Jelly roll for roasting the vegetables

Sharp knife to cut raw vegetables, I use my Santoku knife for this work

Cutting board & washable mat or paper towels  to catch beet juice. 

*Tip: wet your paper towel before placing under your cutting board and it will keep it from slipping

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 425deg. 

Follow the directions to prepare your pie crust. Once ready, roll over your tart pan, press gently to mold to the fluted edges. Fill with pie weights and place in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Your crust should look dry and slightly lighter in color.  Place crust back in oven and back for another 10-12 minutes.  You are looking for a deep golden brown on your crust. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. The pie may take up to 1 hour to cool completely.
**If you are using a pre made pastry cup or packaged pie crust, follow the directions on the package and skip to making the balsamic syrup.

While your crust is cooking, make the balsamic syrup:

Alice's Balsamic Syrup:
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup red wine [Cabernet or Merlot]
½ cup white sugar

Combine all [3] ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer until liquid has reduced to ¾ of a cup. Liquid will thicken as it cools. Set-aside until ready to serve. **This syrup can be made 2-3 days in advance. Keep in a tight fitting jar and refrigerate. 

Next, chop your chosen vegetables unto ½" cubes, toss with some olive oil, salt and chopped herbs.  Make sure your oven is still registered at 425deg. Spread the vegetables onto your jelly roll pan so they are evenly distributed. Bake for 20 minutes, stir the vegetables then bake for another 10-15 minutes until the veggies are tender and light browned. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
**Beets will take longer to cook so you either want to cut them into smaller pieces or separate this vegetable on another, smaller pan, and cook at the same time for about 10 minutes longer than the parsnips or carrots. If you are going to use pickled beets, simply drain the canned vegetable, chop and mix with warm vegetables out of the oven.

It's time to assemble your tart(s)!  Sprinkle half of your goat cheese in the bottom of your tart, spread the warm vegetables over the goat cheese. Sprinkle the remaining goat cheese over the vegetables and drizzle with your balsamic vinegar.  

Serve on cake stand or large decorative plate. Enjoy! 

Cupcake liners in Mason Jars!

Best idea ever. #Pinterest #cupcakes  http://t.co/Sjp6pqkinT pic.twitter.com/LuMo6kPW4j

— alice.RICHES.snow (@aliceRICHESsnow) January 23, 2014

Nicely tucked away in my kitchen island drawer. I plan to add labels to the top of the containers and I'll be set!

Crack Potatoes...I sense a pattern here...

Well...between Pinterest and my large (embarrassingly large) collection of cookbooks I should be blogging everyday but for various reasons clearly I am not. So, here's my attempt to make it happen more than every 6 months. I have so many recipes in the wings that I thought it best to start with some of the winners.

[I've never met a potato I didn't like]

So says my Dad and I have to agree! We make crack potatoes for breakfast when we are having people visit for the weekend and we often [always] keep the ingredients on hand. Always. The original recipe can be found here and Pinned here. These hash brown potatoes were introduced to me and my co-workers by a fellow co-worker Lisa. We are still not sure if we hate her or love her for introducing us to the mountain of cheesy-carbs...either way, the first introduction was a huge hit. I immediately re-pinned her pin, stopped at the grocery store on the way home and made them for Saturday morning breakfast.  Enter very happy, sweet husband.

I can't believe I've never snapped a photo of these scrumptious potatoes so this will be a somewhat dry [but cheesy] post. All you need is the recipe and a few suggestions along the way.

Thaw your potatoes completely before starting this recipe.  I have found that because potatoes hold a lot of moisture it took several days for the hash browns to defrost.  I ended up microwaving the potatoes a few times, stirring the potatoes around each time, before I added the butter.  Think about it, if you have even semi-cold potatoes, once you pour the very delicate [and delicious] butter over them the butter will begin to congeal. You don't want this.  

Originally, this recipe calls for corn flakes and almost every time we have made this I have included them. Until one day when I made this as a traveling chef I forgot the corn flakes so a cheese topping it was. Honestly, I didn't miss the corn flakes but I encourage you to make it both ways  and decide for yourself. It does add a nice bit of texture with the buttery, crunchy corn flakes but we didn't like them included if we were planning on having leftovers.  Leftovers for this dish are not always available due to their "crack-ness" but if you happen to have leftovers they do quite nicely warmed in your toaster oven or directly in a non-stick frying pan.

Also, this recipe doubles nicely but prepare separately then mix together in a large lasagna or other deep dish baking dish. Unless you have an industrial size bowl the mess is unbelievable!

{Crack Potatoes}

Ingredients:
1 2lb. bag of hash browns, thawed and at room temperature

 salt + pepper - I never measure this...perhaps a ¼ - ½ teaspoon of each, do what you do!
1 cup butter, melted (1 stick)
1 sm. - med. onion chopped
1 can of cream of potato soup (10 ¾ oz)

1 pint of sour cream (I have used both regular and lite)

2 cups of shredded yellow cheddar cheese + 1-2 cup for the topping

Non-stick cooking spray

Equipment:
Large microwave safe bowl
9x13 casserole dish

Optional:

2 cups of corn flakes
¼  - ½  cup of butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray a 9×13″ baking dish; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine thawed hash browns with the cup of the melted butter, pepper, salt, cheddar cheese and chopped onion, blending well. 

Fold in the soup and sour cream and be sure to mix evenly. Spread potatoes evenly into a prepared 9×13″ baking dish. Top with the 1-2 cups of shredded cheese or:

Optional: Mix 1/4 cup melted butter and corn flakes together and sprinkle over top of casserole. 

Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes. If you use a glass casserole dish you'll see the mixture bubble and brown nicely along the sides and on the top for all other aluminum pans.  Let sit 10 - 15 minutes, serve hot with a side of bacon and a fried egg or two.

Good luck getting rid of your next house guests. Enjoy! 

Death by chocolate...so worth it.

Work kicked my butt this week. That's about all the reason I need to make these. #Cupcakes #TGIF pic.twitter.com/DE8jEgWIK5
— alice.RICHES.snow (@aliceRICHESsnow) January 17, 2014

The Ultimate Sweet & Sour Chicken, aka "Crack Chicken"

Okay. I apologize in advance for sharing this recipe with you...welcome to your new favorite family meal! I could literally sit down and house the entire dish. No rice needed, just me, my couch and a shovel.  I realize I shouldn't admit these things out loud but once you've made this chicken, you'll understand. 

I discovered this recipe when Shannon brought it to work for her lunch. I was sure she found some Chinese restaurant in our area that I had to know about. This being one of the food categories that I have missed most since moving out of NJ I just had to know where it came from. Where else but  Pinterest?! 

I have tried this recipe a few different ways over the last year and the bottom line is, semi-frying your chicken is the way to go.  We tried just lightly browning the chicken without a coating, eh. Not ideal. It works if you want to avoid the whole frying process. I'm actually considering buying a small deep fryer to speed along the process. I know, I know who am I Paula Deen?  I've made this recipe enough to recognize that it might be time. There is a reason we call it crack chicken.

[Offering someone food and secretly 

hoping they'll say no]

It's that kind of chicken. 

I have found that it's much easier to ignore the amount of cornstarch you need to use (see below) and just stick the chicken in a bowl and add cornstarch until the chicken is fully coated. I don't know about you, but I can't stand wasting eggs and flour/dry ingredients when I do this kind of a recipe.

For the next process, I prefer to use my fingers to move the chicken from the egg mixture to the oil as I feel it moves the process along quite nicely. If you're afraid of searing, hot oil, please don't.  Once you have finished the laborious task of lightly frying your chicken, it's time to pour the liquid gold sauce over your chicken then bake.  I realize having to return to the chicken every 15 minutes to turn might seem like the worst part...its not. Go do some laundry or start clean-up from the first part of this recipe. 

{Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken}

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts
salt + pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2-3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Sweet & Sour Sauce:
1 ½ cup sugar
½ cup ketchup
1 cup distilled white vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp garlic salt

Equipment:
Large stainless steel frying pan or fryer
Tongs to flip chicken in oil
1 large bowl for coating chicken

1 bowl for your eggs + fork

Extras:

Broccoli, lightly steamed and added at the end

Rice - we like to mix white and whole grain rice to balance out what the SH likes and what I think is a good choice to make...although it's a little like ordering a Big Mac and a Diet Coke. Anyway!

Directions:
Read the entire recipe before starting - I will never stop saying that! Start by preheating your oven to 325^oF.  Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk & set aside.  

Rinse your chicken breasts in water, dry completely and cut into cubes and season with salt and pepper.

Heat your ¼ - ½  cup oil in a large skillet.

Toss all the chicken in a large bowl with the cornstarch, coat thoroughly.

Dip the chicken in the eggs and place enough chicken evenly spread out in your skillet. Cook the chicken until lightly browned on each side but not cooked through.  Place the chicken on a paper towel to soak up extra oil and then in a 9x13 prepared baking dish. Repeat process until all the chicken has been coated and fried.

Once the chicken has lined the pan, pour the sweet & sour sauce evenly over the chicken. Bake for [1] hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes. [Be careful when opening your oven, the vinegar is evaporating and can burn your eyes, open the oven door, give it a few seconds then pull out the dish and stir]
Turn your chicken by simply using a slotted or large spoon and turning the chicken over in batches and redistributing the sauce. No need to be super technical about this process, it’s just to coat the chicken in the sauce. After the hour is over, remove, let cool slightly. Enjoy over rice, with broccoli or with toothpicks as an appetizer.

Original recipe:  http://life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com/2010/09/baked-sweet-and-sour-chicken-with-fried.html?m=1

When I'm crabby I get curry...

...Or so says my dear Jackie but I like it, it works! When I'm crabby I'm going to make Jenni's Coconut-Curry Chicken (disclaimer: I have no idea if this is her recipe, she is just the lovely human that shared her the delicious dish with me and my co-workers).  It's a soup but not, it's a stew but not, it's warm, it's mouth-watering, it's just plain good. Perfect for our current NH, change of season, one day it's cold, one day it's colder, weather. :)

{Jenni’s Coconut Curry Chicken} 

Ingredients: 
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
4 cans coconut milk [shake before opening] - I prefer Goya
½ - ¾ jar of Pataks mild curry paste 

Garnish: Lime wedges & chopped Cilantro
Plain Greek yogurt if desired to cut the heat

Serve with: Plain or pearled Couscous and/or Naan Garlic Flatbread - yum!

Directions: Rinse your chicken breasts in water & pat dry. *You can also use frozen chicken for this recipe. Pour the coconut & curry in the crock pot and stir to combine. Drop in the chicken breasts, cover and cook on:

[HIGH for 5 hours [remove chicken at hour 4, shred with two forks and return to pot for the last hour]

[LOW for 8 hours [remove chicken at hour 7, shred with two forks and return to pot for the last hour]

Serve over couscous, with chopped cilantro and a generous squeeze of lime. Season with salt and/or pepper to taste.


I apologize in advance for getting you hooked on coconut curry chicken. Really. It's that good. Enjoy!

Artist Highlight II - Lucky Lil Leo Designs

LuckyLilLeoDesigns

Time for another Artist Highlight! I have had the pleasure of purchasing items from this crafter and have been thrilled with each of them.  She has a shop on Etsy [follow the link above to her store] so please have a look.  

There is so much Sarah can do! Each week there's a new outfit she's created for one of her adorable children and I do love seeing her new trinkets and treasures from various online shops for her next creation! 

Matryoshka Dolls - "Russian Nesting Dolls"

Look how adorable! Sarah had the above creations on her Facebook page and I had to have them! I had plans to give them to my sister Jennifer [previous Artist Highlight and Russian speaking, crochet Master, super Mom] for her birthday.  

Okay next! Sarah ordered the most adorable Christmas, Russian nesting dolls fabric ever!! This is the ridiculously adorable pheasant shirt that she made:

Once again this was a gift I purchased for my sister, well her three adorable children anyway!  The pheasant shirt pictured above is just like the one's on Sarah's Etsy store.  They are perfect for any age and can be worn a variety of different ways. The girls were thrilled and will hopefully still be able to wear them next season. *crosses fingers*

What's better? Sarah purchased the fabric from another Etsy shop!

CutiePieCraft Supply

Happy crafting folks! 

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Wontons

Hello new favorite Lent/Veggie Monster recipe!  Thank you Nikki!! One of my lovely co-workers made these and since she is such a lovely gal, she let me try some!  The original recipe was for empanada's and Nikki was looking for a way to make them a little smaller and easier to share with more people.  Enter wonton wrappers.  Also enter, Cilantro-Lime Guacamole. Delish!!

Here's the original recipe: Sweet Potato & Black Bean Empanadas - My Recipes.com

Nikki's Cilantro-Lime Guacamole [with a Snow's twist ;)]

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado, sliced and gently mashed

2 heaping Tbsp. of lite sour cream

Half of your diced jalapeño - see below - [we always add jalapeno to our guacamole so this make's it Snow ;)]

2-3 Tbsp. of fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 lime, juiced

s/p

Directions:

1.  Combine all ingredients and mix until just combined. Press saran wrap into the mixture and refrigerate until ready to serve. This step allows the flavors to develop, not necessary, but so worth it! *Double or triple the guacamole recipe if you plan to take this dish to an event/potluck.

Here is the Wonton recipe with my notes and substitutions:

Ingredients:

2  medium-lg. sweet potatoes  [you will use 1 1/2 sweet potatoes for the mixture]

1 Tbsp. cumin seeds

1/2 - whole jalapeño, seeds removed, finely diced - portion into two equal piles

1 - 12oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup green onions, chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tsp.  chile powder

1/2 tsp. kosher OR sea salt

1 pkg. of nasoya wonton wrappers [Thanks to Harlee, I found these with the vegetarian & soy items in the produce section of my local Hannafords]

1 egg white, lightly beaten, pastry brush

Small bowl of olive oil & pastry-grill brush

Directions:

1. Poke some holes in your sweet potatoes and place them in an oven at 400deg. for 45-60 minutes.  I usually place the potatoes in as I preheating the oven, there's no harm in this and probably saves time?! Let's go with sure it does.

2.  Using a small sauté pan, toast the cumin seeds over medium-high heat.  Make sure you stir the seeds to prevent them from burning.  This should take 1-2 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and using a spice grinder, process until ground - I didn't go nuts with this, you won't feel like you're eating hard pieces of seed if you don't completely process.

3.  Slice your jalapeño, remove the seeds and finely dice [I use my KitchenAid chopper for this] and set 1/2 of the jalapeño [reserve half of the jalapeño for the guacamole] in a medium size mixing bowl. Add the cumin, black beans, green onions, cilantro, chile powder & salt.

Set aside

4.  Separate an egg white from the yolk of one large egg. Mix with a pastry brush or fork. You will need a pastry/oil-grill brush to use on the wonton wrappers.  This is so simple! 

• Wash your hands!
• Crack an egg on a flat, hard surface
• Break off half of the egg shell [over a clean, small bowl] and immediately invert the other half of the egg shell to hold the egg like a bowl. Some of the whites may break away during this process.
• Pour the other half of the egg shell with the remaining egg into your opposite hand and let the whites fall through your fingers. The egg yolk will sit nicely on top of your fingers. Discard yolk or place in a tupperware container and save for future baking [not too long].

5.  Your sweet potatoes should be ready! Carefully remove from the oven, slice in half and scoop out the cooked goodness. Lower your oven to 350deg.  I only used a 1/3 of the sweet potatoes but use your discretion. I wanted to use the entire package of wonton wrappers so I could freeze some for later consumption so I increased the amount of my main ingredients. :) Okay!

Add the sweet potatoes to your black bean mixture. Use a potato masher and mash until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

5.  Now it's time to assemble! Gather some cookie sheets, line with parchment paper and place next to your sweet potato mixture.  

• Brush two sides of your wonton with the egg white wash. 
• Place 1 Tbsp [NOT heaping] of the mixture in the middle of the wrapper and fold the wonton into a triangle
• Press and seal the edges tightly. The egg white acts like glue and will then allow you to evenly distribute the filling into the air pockets of your triangle.  Trust me, this makes a difference! It allows you to actually use 1 Tbsp. of filling in your wonton and evenly disperse the filling for even cooking.  Press the filling [lightly] from the middle to the lower edges of the wrapper.
• Place on the cookie sheet and brush with good olive oil before baking at 350 deg. for 13 minutes

6. While the wonton's are cooking, continue to assemble. Assess how many you plan to devour right away and adjust the amount of Guacamole you will need.  We placed about half of the entire volume in an airtight container to pop out, thaw and bake at another time. Make sure you separate the soon to be frozen wontons with parchment paper.

7. Remove from oven at 13 minutes and immediately remove from pan and onto cooling racks. I simply drag the parchment paper off the cookie sheet onto the counter or wire rack to cool.

8. Serve with a small bowl of dip for each person and 5-8 wontons. Enjoy!

I realize this recipe is long winded, but if you've read my blog before this shouldn't be a surprise. I like to explain why I do something or take an extra step in the recipe. I have found that when I am following a recipe for the first time and I say, "Do you think it's supposed to look like that?" to myself, I want an answer! I want to know why I use egg whites and not just water.  If you're a confident chef and you know what will work in your kitchen, go for it, make changes to suit your style of cooking.  

As always, read the entire recipe before starting, measure out all of your ingredients [or as much as possible] first, gather your equipment and then get to some fun and cook!