Lamb Korma

Indian food is on my list of cuisines to improve on. I have to say I usually leave the cooking up to my favorite indian take-out place. Sometimes it's just intimidating to use so many spices and hope it turns out! 

If you don't cook indian food that often or feel concerned that the spices might not be up your alley- this is a very mild form of lamb korma. I chose to make it less powerful to be able to feed it to the kids. 

And the flavors in this dish get better over time so it's nice to make in advance for later in the week. You can also change out the protein- feel free to use chicken or beef. But try to use bone-in meats- it really does add a lot of flavor! Plus the meats break down so much the bones are simple to remove. Give this recipe a go! 

Lamb Korma 

Fridge: 

2 1/2 lbs lamb chops, bone in 

2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 1/2 tbs cilantro, minced 

1 1/2 tbs ginger, grated 

Counter:

7 garlic cloves, minced finely or grated 

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced 

Pantry:

1 1/2 cups canned coconut milk 

28 oz can diced tomatoes 

3/4 cup raw cashews

2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 

1 tsp chili powder

3/4 tsp ground cardamom 

2 tsp salt 

Salt & pepper to sprinkle on lamb 

1 tbs canola oil or ghee

Tools:

Large dutch oven 

Wooden spoon 

Tongs

Measuring cups/spoons

Microplane

Cutting board 

Food processor or blender

Chopping knife

Preheat oven to 300.

Add the coconut milk and cashews to the food processor and blend until cashews are tiny pieces. Set aside for later. 

Heat oil or ghee over medium to high heat in the dutch oven. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper on both sides. Sear each side of the lamp chops for 1 to 2 minutes to create a nice golden brown color. Do not overcrowd the pot while searing- this will most likely have to be done in batches unless you have a massive pot. 

Once all meat is seared- set aside. Add onions, garlic and ginger to the Dutch oven. Cook for a minute or two before adding all the spices- minus the salt. Sauté the spices, onion, ginger, and garlic for two minutes and then add the lamb back into the pot. 

Add the coconut milk and cashew mixture and the diced tomatoes- juice and all- into the pot. Add the two teaspoons of salt and mix everything together well. 

Place the lid onto the pot and place it into the oven. Cook for 2 1/2 hours at 300 degrees- stirring a few times throughout. An hour and half into cooking- add the carrots. These only need an hour to cook- otherwise they turn to mush. After 2 1/2- turn off the oven and allow the pot to sit in the oven for another 30 minutes to cool with the oven. Remove the lamb korma and add the minced cilantro at the very end. 

Serve with brown or white rice- or whatever you please! Enjoy this deliciousness! It's such a perfect autumn or winter dish! Xo

Blueberry Pomegranate Chia Muffins

My lovely friend Catherine- author of the stylish blog Chic Geek- called me last week asking me to make her a high protein super healthy breakfast and snack muffin. Normally I'm not into baking insanely healthy- I can do a normal level of healthy but adding no sugar to a muffin is tough for me. But I would do anything for Ms. Chic Geek so she came over and I created a crazy super healthy muffin for her to snack on all week. She loved them!!

Make these healthy muffins while perusing Catherine's awesome fall must-see items! 

Blueberry Pomegranate Chia Muffins 

Fridge:

1/2 cup of applesauce (we used our homemade recipe) 

3/4 cup coconut milk (we used canned) 

1/2 cup blueberries

1 egg 

Pantry:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1/2 cup coconut oil, room temperature (liquid form)

2 tbs local honey

1/2 cup dried pomegranate seeds 

1/2 cup raw almonds minced- plus extra for sprinkling on top 

1/4 cup of chia seeds 

Tools: 

Greased or lined muffin tray 

2 medium mixing bowls

Mixing spatula

Whisk

Ice cream scoop or large spoon 

Measuring cups/spoons 

Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin tray or line with paper liners. 

In one bowl add coconut milk, egg, coconut oil (microwave for 10-15 seconds if you need to make it liquid), vanilla extract, honey and applesauce. Whisk well.

In separate bowl add whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, chia seeds, ground ginger and ground cinnamon. Mix well. 

Add the liquid bowl to the dry bowl and combine well. Once mixed together- add pomegranate seeds, blueberries and almonds. Mix until just combined. Using the ice cream scooper fill the muffin trays about 3/4 full. 

Sprinkle extra chopped almonds on top and then place in the oven and bake for 24-28 minutes or until the tops are golden and slightly spongy to touch. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before enjoying! 

And if you're anything like me aka addicted to sweet things- I would add 1/4 cup of sugar before baking for some sweetness. But that's just me!! 

Be good- stick to Catherine's recipe! She did an excellent job as my sous chef!! Thanks CC! Xo

Applesauce Season

It is officially fall here in New England. And autumn kicks off the season of all things apple and pumpkin. As if you haven't seen the million facebook posts and tweets about pumpkin lattes and apple picking.

The family I work for also joined the apple picking club and brought home more apples than we knew what to do with- and so our first cooking venture together was making our own applesauce. And if you can peel an apple- then you can make this applesauce. It's beyond simple!!

Easy Applesauce 

Counter:

10 large apples, peeled and cored 

Juice of 1 lemon

Enough water to barely cover the apples, my pot used about 7 1/2 cups.

Pantry:

2 cinnamon sticks 

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger 

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup white sugar 

Tools:

Large pot with lid

Slotted spoon 

Blender or food processor 

Measuring cups/spoons 

Add all the ingredients to the pot and then add cold water to just barely cover the pot. Stir together and cover with a lid. Turn heat on low to medium and allow to simmer until apples begin to break down. It took about 20-25 minutes on a gas stove. 

Once the apples are broken down and soft, remove from heat. You can allow to cool for 10 minutes before processing.

Using the slotted spoon, add just the apples into the blender. Pulse the apples until the consistency you want. I like my applesauce fairly smooth with just a little chunks. If the sauce is too thick for you- add a little of the cooking liquid. Continue this process until all the apples are blended and smooth. 

Now at this point taste the apples for flavor. I did not want to add any extra sugar as this was for the kids- so ours was slightly sweet but still tart. You might prefer a more sweeter applesauce so make sure to add more sugar while sauce is still hot so the sugar dissolves. I recommend only adding a tablespoon at a time- you don't want to over sweeten it (or maybe you do, no judgments). 

Allow to sit out for 30 minutes to come to room temperature and then put into mason jars or Tupperware and chill in the fridge. This will last 7-10 days in the fridge. 

This is great to eat for both kids and adults. I like to dip pretzels in mine- thanks to my friend Leslie who taught me that in grade school. It is also great as a substitute in baking. Grab some apples and give it a go! So simple! Xo

Charlies faces as he tries the applesaucefor the first time are classic!! 

The BEST Oatmeal & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Kids love cookies. It's a fact. So whenever I decide to do special treats cooking with the kids we usually end up raiding the pantry for cookie ingredients.

These oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies are to-die for! The kids inhaled them. I inhaled them. They were an all around success!! 

You can also substitute the chocolate chips for raisins, dates, currants, dried cranberries, etc for a healthier option. They will still be delicious- bc they are soft but with crunchy edges- which in my world- is a perfect cookie!

The BEST Oatmeal & Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Fridge:

1/2 cup or 1 stick butter, softened 

2 eggs

Pantry:

1 3/4 cups ap flour 

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar 

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

2 1/2 cups quick cooking oatmeal 

1 1/4 cups semi sweet chocolate chips 

Tools:

Two large bowls

Baking spatula

Electric hand mixer 

Measuring cups/spoons 

Large spoon or ice cream scoop

Large baking tray 

Preheat oven to 350. 

In one bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. 

In the other bowl add the butter and brown and white sugars. Cream together with electric hand mixer. Once creamy add the applesauce and mix again. Then add one egg and mix and the second egg and mix. Add the vanilla extract and mix once again. I like to pulse mix this- only 10 seconds and then I add the next ingredient. 

Once the wet ingredients are combined, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredient bowl- add a little at a time and then mix. It's easier than cleaning up flour everywhere! 

Finally add in the oatmeal and chocolate chips. Hand mix them into the dough. After they are evenly mixed in, use a large spoon or ice cream scoop to drop the dough onto an ungreased baking tray. 

Place the cookie dough a few inches away from each other as they spread and rise.

Bake for 12-14 minutes and allow to cool. 

Enjoy these warm with a glass of cold milk! Oh yah!! Xo

Jazzed Up Ramen

Dreary autumn days call for soups and stews. And since ramen is no longer the food of starving college kids, I've decided to share my jazzed up version of ramen. 

This is definitely a childhood favorite of mine and reminds me of when I would stay home sick from school and make my own homemade chicken noodle soup using ramen packets as my noodles. 

I made this particular version spicy so it's not very kid-friendly but if you swap out the spicy ramen for chicken flavored- you've got a delicious meal for the kids. And the long noodles are fun for them to eat!! 

Plus it's a quick and easy meal for the days when you're at a loss of what to make and have little time- keep a few ramen packets around and jazz them up for the kids! 

Jazzed Up Ramen 

Fridge:

1/3 lb firm tofu, cut into cubes (about 1 1/2 cups) 

1/2 cup mushrooms (your choice), sliced

1/2 cup scallions, sliced thin 

2 tbs cilantro, minced 

1/2 tbs ketchup 

1 egg 

Counter:

6 cups water

Juice 1/2 lime 

Pantry:

1 chicken flavored ramen packet 

1 spicy flavored ramen packet (see photo) 

2 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 1/2 tsp Wostershire sauce 

1 1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar 

Optional toppings: corn, mung beans, hard boiled eggs, lime slices, avocado, cilantro, grated carrots, cucumber slices, cooked mushrooms, etc. 

Tools:

Medium pot 

Whisk 

Wooden mixing spoon

Measuring cups/spoons 

Cutting board 

Chopping knife 

Add water to the pot and put over medium heat. Add mushrooms, scallions, cilantro, ketchup, soy sauce, sesame oil, Wostershire sauce, rice wine vinegar, the spicy and chicken flavor packets and lime juice to the pot. Bring the broth to a boil. 

Once broth is boiling, crack your egg straight into the middle and whisk rapidly for a minute. Add the tofu cubes and ramen noodles. Cook for 3 minutes until the noodles are al dente. Turn off heat and serve immeditately.

Use whatever toppings you want to add texture and flavor to the soup. I squeezed some fresh lime on top and added corn, mung beans, cooked mushrooms, extra tofu and a hard boiled egg. 

And let me tell you- it was delicious!! Super heart warming and a giant leap from the ramen we all knew and loved in college!! Try it out! Xo