Delicata Squash & Broccoli Coconut Curry

Sometimes, you just need a really big bowl of curry.

Continuing my nonstop parade of delicata squash, I theorized that it would be perfect in curry. I was absolutely right. Delicata squash is made for the stuff. The tender meat soaks up the coconutty curry juices and the pliable peel remains just chewy enough to offer two different textures in one little squash bite. I threw in some broccoli as well, because my CSA box unloaded upon me an unending supply of the little trees. Hey, I'm not complaining! The stalks on these particular fellows though were...insane. They were practically a foot long! 

I was watching some cooking show a few weeks ago, it might have been The Jazzy Vegetarian or maybe that crazy red-headed lady that says "organic" a trillion times per episode (Todd and I decided it would be a fabulous drinking game)...I can't be exactly sure who it was. Nevertheless, the gal said to trim off the fibrous outer bit of the broccoli stalk and then chop up the tender "heart" and use it as you would with the florets. I normally use the stalk, but I never thought to trim off the tough stuff! I've been implementing said technique ever since, and stuffing Bob's kong with the trimmings. Nothing goes to waste and no more chewy broccoli. Win-win!

“When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important.”

— Ellen DeGeneres

A sweet and zesty coconut curry bathes fresh broccoli and tender delicata squash. Serve over your favorite rice or noodles for a warm and comforting mid-winter meal. 

Delicata Squash & Broccoli Coconut Curry

A sweet and zesty coconut curry bathes fresh broccoli and tender delicata squash. Serve over your favorite rice or noodles for a warm and comforting mid-winter meal. NOTES: Use the broccoli stalks! Just cut off the fibrous outer bit of the stalk and discard, then chop the tender “heart” to use. Don’t peel the delicata squash, the rind is edible!

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil (either refined or unrefined)
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 ½ Tbsp. Thai red curry paste
• ¼ tsp. ground turmeric
• dash of ground black pepper
• dash of red pepper flakes, to taste
• pinch of salt, to taste
• 1 15 oz. can of full-fat coconut milk
• ½ Tbsp. brown sugar
• ½ Tbsp. dried basil
• juice from ½ lime
• 1 small head of broccoli, florets and stalks chopped
• 1 delicata squash, de-seeded and chopped
• 4-6 servings of rice or noodles

Cooking Directions

1. Begin by preparing your rice or noodles.
2. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan heat the oil over medium. Add the onion and garlic, sauté a few minutes then add the curry paste through and including the salt.
3. Turn down to medium-low and sauté for about five minutes, until fragrant and the onions are tender.
4. Prepare the vegetables, and when ready add to the pan along with the remaining ingredients, excluding the rice/noodles. Stir well and cover. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the broccoli and squash are tender.
5. Serve hot, over the rice/noodles or add to the curry sauce and mix.

Dutch Word of The Day

Coconut --> kokosnoot (cocoa-snowt)

Good Deed of The Day

Are you against the Keystone XL pipeline? Me too. Sign the petition here along with 55,000 others. 

Greek Scalloped Potatoes Gratin

Wind. No Snow. Freezing temperatures. More wind. Unending darkness. 

It's time for some serious comfort food in Alaska, my friends. This house-arresting weather demands it. If I can't ski, I will make comfort food!

Growing up, my dad used to make ham and scalloped potatoes. I hadn't had them in so long and for some reason a peculiar craving for the creamy spuds overcame me. So, I made my own version! Sans our animal friend, the pig, of course and better than ever! Todd and his strange and somewhat spontaneous love of Kalamata olives inspired me to develop a greek gratin with him in mind.

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”

— Epicurus

Canned coconut milk replaces heavy cream in my verison. Creamy and slightly sweet, this comforting herbed Greek Scalloped Potato Gratin is accompanied by green kale, salty Kalamata olives, and juicy yellow onion.  

Greek Scalloped Potato Gratin

Creamy and slightly sweet, this comforting herbed Greek Scalloped Potato Gratin is accompanied by green kale, salty Kalamata olives, and juicy yellow onion.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz. can full-fat coconut milk
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp. dried thyme
• ½ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
• dash of ground black pepper
• dash of kosher salt
• 1 ½-2 lbs. russet potatoes (about 3 medium), washed and thinly sliced
• ½ medium yellow onion, sliced
• 3 large kale leaves, de-stemmed and chopped
• 12 pitted Kalamata olives, minced
• sprinkling of nutritional yeast

Cooking Directions

1. In a small saucepan, heat the coconut milk through and including the salt over medium-low. Whisk to combine. Do not allow to boil.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and coat a large 9x13 inch baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 F.
3. Ladle some of the sauce into the prepared dish, so it covers the bottom. Place one sliced potato in the dish, arranging the slices evenly among the bottom. Add half of the sliced onion, one of the chopped kale leaves, and four minced olives evenly over the first layer of potato.
4. Repeat with second layer, excluding the sauce. Repeat with third layer (there will be no onion in this top layer).
5. Remove the sauce from heat and take out the bay leaves. Pour the remaining sauce over the layers. Sprinkle the top evenly with nutritional yeast
6. Cover with aluminum foil, leaving one corner open for steam to escape. Bake at 400 F for 40 minutes.
7. Remove and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve hot.

Dutch Word of The Day

Potato --> aardappel (ard-apple)

Good Deed of The Day

Are you surprised that a plant-based, minimal animal products way of eating was ranked as the healthiest diet again this year? Not me! Time to ditch the meat.

Nutmeg Scented Roasted Sunchokes

Have you ever had a sunchoke? They're also known as Jerusalem artichokes. I'd heard about them, but I hadn't tried them until they arrived one day, nestled in my CSA box. Interestingly, I've never seen them in our local grocery stores up here in Alaska. 

“One man practicing kindness in the wilderness is worth all the temples this world pulls.”

— Jack Kerouac

These knobbly little fellows are one of my new favorite tubers! Sunchokes are kind of like a potato (although much less starchy), but look a bit like a fresh ginger root. Peculiarly nutty and quite sweet in flavor, they really don't taste much like a potato! 

To highlight the unique flavor of a sunchoke, I decided to roast them with a bit of salt and olive oil. Consulting the Flavor Bible, I saw that nutmeg pairs well with the sunchoke and this simple but exceptionally delicious recipe was born!

Don't they look like giant wasp bodies? *shudders* I'm sorry. You can't unsee that. That was awful of me. Never fear though, the tubers are so delicious they will rid that horrid image from your brain.

These nutty sunchokes are toasted in olive oil and simply sprinkled with salt. Laced with fresh nutmeg for hint of sweetness and warmth, they're a perfect healthy winter snack. They reminded me of those scrumptious Terra Chips! 

There wasn't any measuring used for this recipe. Story of my life. Just add salt and nutmeg to your taste preference! 

Nutmeg Scented Roasted Sunchokes

Nutty sunchokes are toasted in olive oil and simply sprinkled with salt. Laced with fresh nutmeg for hint of sweetness and warmth, it’s a perfect healthy winter snack.

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 6-8 sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes), sliced thin
• drizzle of olive oil
• dash of kosher salt
• grating of fresh nutmeg

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Scrub the sunchokes clean of any dirt. Slice them thinly and arrange on a baking sheet.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Not too much, they shouldn't be swimming in the oil.
4. Sprinkle with kosher salt, to taste. Grate freshly ground nutmeg over the sunchokes, to taste, not too much.
5. Roast for 20 minutes at 425 F, tossing them halfway through.
6. Serve immediately.

Dutch Word of The Day

Nutmeg --> nootmuskaat (note-mus-cat)

Good Deed of The Day

An investigation conducted by The Humane Society of the United States captured painful dental experiments on dogs behind closed doors at Georgia Regents University (GRU). Apparently these lethal experiments have been allowed to continue. Let's speak up for these dogs and bring the experiments to an end!