Coconut-Ginger Curried Chicken & a So Delicious Giveaway!!

I just returned from a fabulous warm-weather vacation and made this recipe up remembering the amazing flavor of fresh coconut and strong, delicious spices coming together... definitely one of the most tasty chicken dishes I've made! It is a bit on the spicy side, so definitely reduce the cayenne if you don't like spicy food. I don't eat rice anymore, but it would be delicious served on top of a fluffy bowl of brown rice.

I also used So Delicious Coconut milk drink in this recipe - I really love this drink. I give it to my daughter to drink all the time and use it in desserts, but not that often in my cooking, so I was excited to use it here. It has a light and smooth flavor that is pleasing even if you're not that crazy about coconuts! I am quite excited to offer some free So Delicious products for you to try, so check out my giveaway at the bottom of this post.

Coconut-Ginger Curried Chicken

1.75lbs (approx) organic chicken leg quarters*

1large sweet potato (1 heaping cup chopped)

3organic carrots (1 cup chopped)

4large organic collard green leaves (2 cups packed/chopped)

1Tbsp grated ginger

4large cloves crushed garlic

2Tbsp curry powder

1tsp cinnamon

2tsp salt

1tsp oregano

1/8tsp cayenne pepper (less if you don’t want it spicy)

1Tbsp olive oil

1cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk

2Tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut

112 oz can organic black beans (optional)

*vegan option: Tofu would work wellhere, or just use the black beans and forget the meat

Mix together in a small bowl theginger, garlic, spices, and olive oil. Gradually add the coconut milk whilestirring and set aside. Place the chicken(or tofu) in a large, oiled pyrex and arrange the vegetables around it. Pourthe sauce over everything. Cover the pyrex in foil and place in therefrigerator to marinate for 1-2 hours.
To cook: preheat oven to 375ºF.Cook for approximately 40 minutes, remove foil, and cook another 5-10 minutesor until chicken is cooked through (internal temp of 165 ºF)
Serve with lime slices over brownrice or alone.

THE GIVEAWAY & PRIZE:

I will be running a giveaway herefor 5 free So Delicious products of your choosing + coupons for more amazing products!
The giveaway will be limited to U.S. residentsonly, and I will send prizes to the winner directly.

To Enter:
There are multiple ways to enter the giveaway!

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Vegan Quinoa Stuffing (gluten free, dairy free, soy free)

I think I've made some variation of this quinoa stuffing every year for Thanksgiving now since I went gluten free, but never wrote the recipe down. I just took this to a vegan Thanksgiving potluck the other day (shout-out to the Mindful Mommas!) so it gave me the opportunity to finally write it out. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and while traditions are nice, I love experimenting with different types of dishes and modifying old ones. If you make this, feel free to add other chopped veggies that you like (like mushrooms!) or leave it as it is. I used a Rapunzel vegetarian bouillon cube for this recipe, but any vegetable broth will do, or if you must, chicken or beef broth.

Vegan Quinoa Stuffing
gluten, soy, dairy, nut free


2 cups quinoa, rinsed and soaked overnight**
1 Rapunzel Vegan Vegetable Bouillon with Sea Salt
4 cups water

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion
3 large cloves garlic or 6 small
2 cups chopped carrots
3 cups chopped celery
1 tsp rubbed sage
1 tsp cinnamon
1.5 tsp rosemary (lightly crushed)
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp Italian seasoning blend
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4-1/2 cup dried organic cranberries

optional:
sliced sauteed mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
chopped pecans, walnuts, or pine nuts

**I soak my quinoa the night before, so it cooks a bit faster as well

• Heat oil and spices in a pot and stir continuously for one minute
• Add the onion and garlic, stir and cook for 5 minutes at medium/low heat. Add more olive oil if it looks too dry.
• Add the carrots and celery and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the veggies are cooking, prepare the quinoa:
• Rinse and strain the quinoa. Place 2 cups of boiling water in a small pot with the bouillon and stir until melted.
• Add another 2 cups of water and the quinoa
• Bring to boil then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the germ in the quinoa has come out, but it is not mushy (see pictures)
• When done cooking, add the cranberries and pour the quinoa into the big pot with the veggies, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking broth for later.
• Stir well and allow to sit- the liquid will become absorbed. A little before serving, you can add the rest of the reserved broth to keep it moist.

If you are looking for some other delicious ideas for Thanksgiving, here are a few of my other recipes that would be great for Thanksgiving or any fall/dinner meal:

Creamy Wild Rice and Chicken Casserole

Roasted Butternut Squash with Corn

Stuffed Butternut Squash

Stuffed Vegetables

Gluten Free Sweet Potato Pie

Dairy Free Cranberry Parfait

Gluten Free Apple Pie

Gluten Free Blueberry Pie

I have also submitted this recipe to November's 'Go ahead honey, it's gluten free!': Thanksgiving Dishes hosted by Brittany at Real Sustenance.

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy Thanksgiving!

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Ginger and Sesame Stir Fry with Kelp Noodles (gluten free, soy free, dairy free, grain free)

With my recent reduction in grain consumption has come more modifications and researching and wondering... What about noodles? I sometimes use sweet potato starch noodles that I get from the Asian grocery store by us, but someone also recommended Kelp Noodles to me and of course I was eager to try.  I recently found them on iHerb and quickly ordered a bunch!

If you're not familiar with iHerb.com, they're a great company that sells over 19,000 natural products and offers UPS Ground Shipping for free to orders over $40.00.  The best thing about them is that if you use my link or referral code, you'll get $5 off with your first order! In case you don't use the link, my referral code is "LEP856"
iHerb sells two types of kelp noodles for only $2.79 a bag:

Sea Tangle Kelp Noodles
Kelp Noodles with Organic Green Tea



 Kelp noodles are mineral-rich and totally raw, so you can eat them as is- they're crunchy and tasty. You just rinse them and toss with whatever you want. Or you can make them softer and enjoy as a regular noodle. To soften them, you can do a variety of things: either soak in lemon juice for about 10 minutes and rinse, dehydrate for about 20 minutes, or mix them with any sauce you cook and let it sit for a few minutes. The sauce will soften the noodles nicely.

This month's 'Go Ahead Honey, it's Gluten Free" is the Chinese Lantern Festival, hosted by The Daily Dietribe, and this is my submission.

Ginger and Sesame Stir Fry with Kelp Noodles 

(gluten free, soy free, dairy free, grain free)

Veggies
1/2 lb. broccoli, cut into florets
6 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced
2 medium yellow onions, sliced
8 medium cloves garlic, chopped
3 Tbsp finely chopped ginger (or grated if you are opposed to ginger chunks)

Sauce
3 Tbsp sesame oil
6 Tbsp Coconut Aminos
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
1/8 tsp chili pepper (or more if you like it spicier)

1 lb organic chicken breast, sliced (optional)
4 Tbsp coconut oil

sesame seeds to taste
2 tsp corn starch (or other starch) melted in a bit of cold water (optional)
1 package Sea Tangle Kelp Noodles

Mix your sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat 2 Tbsp coconut oil in wok. Add 1 of your sliced onion and cook for a minute. Add 1/2 your chopped garlic and 1/2 your chopped ginger.  Stir for another minute, careful not to let them burn.  Add all of your veggies except for the bell pepper and mix well in the wok.  Add a few spoons of the sauce to coat the veggies while they cook.  As the sauce gets absorbed, continue to add a few spoons while it cooks, just don't let it form a pool on the bottom of the wok until you've added about 1/2 of the sauce. Cook until the veggies are soft but still firm and set aside.

In the same (now empty) wok, heat the rest of your coconut oil and add the other onion. Cook until soft, then add the rest of your garlic and ginger. Cook for a minute, then add your chicken and a few spoons of sauce.  Mix well and continue to cook until chicken is almost done. Add the rest of the sauce and the veggies to the chicken and mix well.  If you want the noodles mixed with the rest of the dish, add them in with the veggies so that they can become soft while they cook.  If you would like your sauce a bit thicker and coating the food, add the melted cornstarch now and stir well. Cook for a few minutes, serve, and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.  If you are enjoying the noodles separately, place them on the bottom of your bowl and cover with the stir fry. Enjoy!

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Cinnamon Skewered Kabobs-Take 2!

 I posted my Cinnamon Skewered Lamb Kabobs (click for recipe) in the fall of last year, so I wanted to try them again this year but with organic grass fed beef instead.  It turned out really well, so if you're looking for an idea for a labor day barbecue, these are so easy and delicious!  You can use beef, lamb, or even ground turkey.


I made these in the morning and kept them covered in the fridge until I was ready to grill them in the evening. Making them in advance causes the flavors to be more intense though, so I recommend decreasing the salt a bit if you plan on doing that.








The other change I made was the cover the ends in foil- this helped to keep the cinnamon from burning.

 

Before Cooking

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Roasted Butternut Squash with Corn

i blogged a little while ago about a Nando's side dish that I wanted to recreate-- a tasty butternut squash dish. since then i've tried to make it twice, each a little different. it's not exactly the same, but quite good! i use nando's sauces to spice up and add a bit more flavor, but you can also leave them out or sub a few other ingredients (or your own favorite hot sauce). i've added some suggestions for subs in the end. the recipe is quite simple to make and can be a main or side dish.



Roasted Butternut Squash with Corn

1 2 lb. butternut squash, peeled
1 large red onion, chopped (about 1.5 cups)
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic peri-peri sauce
1 tsp wild-herb peri-peri sauce
1 Tbsp sea salt
1.5 cups frozen corn (roasted if you like) or 1 cup fresh
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 cup organic dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped organic cilantro

-preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
-chop the butternut into pieces (about 4" x 3" pieces- the smaller they are the faster they will cook) and place inside down on a baking tray. you can lightly toss the pieces in olive oil or coconut oil and a bit of salt before baking if you choose.
-bake the squash until soft (mine took approx. 15 minutes, but check after 10).
-meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pot and sautee the onion.
-add the corn, hot sauces, salt, and cayenne to the onions and stir for a minute or so. if using fresh corn let it cook for a bit.
-add the cranberries and stir until the corn is heated through.
-chop the squash into cubes and add to the onion mixture. continue to stir the mixture for a few minutes for the flavors to blend. i like there to still be some cubes left, but also a mashed consistency--the more you mix it the more mashed it will become. remove from heat
-add chopped cilantro to taste.

**notes:
- in the picture below, i made this dish with organic bison sausage chopped up and cooked with the onions. you can also add some grilled chicken if you would like more protein in the dish.
-if you don't have the nando's sauces, you can either leave them out, add your own smoky hot sauce, or probably a mixture of vinegar, herbs, garlic, lemon, agave, and some heat
-i've made this with sweet potato as well and added a dash of cinnamon in for some more added flavor

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