With the arrival of spring, I’ve been jazzing it up in the kitchen with some exotic spices. To wit, the Moroccan Swordfish and now a savory Chicken Curry with a Mango Twist.  The secret is in the sauce and this one is made easy with two ingredients that I purchased at one of my still-favorite stores, Trader Joe’s. Your palate will delight in the complementary flavors of the sweet chutney, creamy coconut milk, and robust curry.

Chicken Curry with a Mango Twist

1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

red pepper flakes

½ onion, chopped

1 med. red pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger

1 tablespoon curry powder

½ teaspoon cumin

1 c. light coconut milk*

3 tablespoons mango chutney*

salt and pepper

cilantro for garnish (optional)

Serves 4

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Cook the chicken until lightly browned, stirring to cook evenly.

Remove chicken and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add the onion and red pepper, sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for another 2 minutes, stirring. Add the curry and cumin, stir into the vegetables. Add the coconut milk and mango chutney, stirring to blend all ingredients. Bring to a simmer, lower heat, and cook for 5 minutes.

Serve immediately over brown or white basmati or jasmine rice.

Enjoy And, leave a comment – I’d love to hear from  you !

* I buy these two items at Trader Joe’s, but they may be available at some supermarkets.

The secret is in the sauce....

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Post tags: Chicken Curry, Trader Joes

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Sausage and peppers is a classic comfort food and it’s so easy to make. Sometimes I add chopped tomatoes to have more juice that soaks into the roll, mmmm. This time I added tiny portabella mushrooms because I had them in the fridge and they add a “meatier” taste – you know, cuz I’m trying to go meatless.  All the ingredients are from Trader Joe’s – I’m one of their best customers and promoters, yet Sprouts is opening in Huntington Beach on January 29th, so I might defect – hear that Trader Joes?

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Post tags: comfort food, sausage and peppers, Trader Joes, vegan, vegan recipes, vegetarian, vegetarian recipes

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Wow, I feel so healthy!  This week I dined at Au Lac in Fountain Valley, a restaurant that specializes in what they call Humanese cuisine with an extensive menu of raw and vegan Asian dishes with a few Italian and American staples such as spaghetti, pizza, and burgers. Au Lac has been serving healthy vegan food for 15 years and has a loyal following – they were quite busy for a Tuesday night and some of the diners were regular customers.

With a newfound interest in vegan fare, I began experimenting with the Nori Wrap recipe from Chef Priscilla Willis’ healthy cooking demonstration at the Hyatt Regency, Huntington Beach.  Nori wraps may not be something you want to spring on your kids but it is definitely a delicious way to add veggies to a dinner of purchased sushi and some children, depending on what they’re used to eating, may actually like it wrapped in a tortilla (see below).  Plus, during the holidays, eating lean and healthy during the week is an excellent way to try to avoid (or keep to a minimum) the average weight gain of 3-7 pounds.

First, I bought Nori Sheets and tofu at Ebisu Supermarket, a Japanese market in Fountain Valley. The rest of the ingredients I purchased at Trader Joe’s – I added enoki mushrooms because they’re cute and add texture and crunch and, instead of regular cucumbers, I tried Persian cucumbers which are smaller and sweeter with a thin skin. You can buy tofu at Trader Joes, but when I was at Ebisu I picked up some broiled tofu which, to me,  has a more appealing appearance because of the browning on top. I had miso paste in my fridge, but that is another ingredient you would probably have to get at a health foods store or Asian market.

Nori Wraps

1 pkg. Firm Tofu, sliced into ½” strips

1 pkg. shredded carrots

2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

2 avocado, sliced

1 pkg. sliced mango

1 pkg. enoki mushrooms (optional)

1 pkgs. Nori Wrapper (roasted)

1 head Bibb (butter)  lettuce

Miso Peanut  Sauce:

1 T. Low-sodium White Miso

½ c. water

2 T. rice wine vinegar

1 ½ t. Splenda

3 T. creamy peanut butter

1 T. light soy sauce

Whisk all ingredients in a small saucepan, taste test, cook over med-low heat until warmed and slightly thickened. The Nori wraps are wonderful as an appetizer, which is how they were presented at the cooking demo.

OPTIONS:  More kid-friendly and more filling – make it a wrap with tortillas (I used Sonoma low carb, high fiber tortillas – from Trader Joe’s) and add a scoop of brown rice to the filling.

Not into vegan? Add grilled chicken or salmon.  Be creative, own it! : )

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Post tags: Au Lac, Chef Priscilla Willis, Ebisu Supermarket, Nori Wraps, Trader Joes, vegan

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