One night while lying in bed, I had recipes tossing through my brain with visions of tantalizing food (there just might be something wrong with me), when a new recipe dawned on me for chicken. I had tried pecan-crusted chicken and sesame-crusted fish with great success, so why couldn't I use a different nut...like almonds? And what if said almonds were the greatest, most addicting almonds of all time...smoked almonds? Yes, this could work I thought. This could be amazing. So while I tried to fall asleep the thought of forgetting my brilliant idea was eating away at me, so I promptly got up to write down my thoughts. Finally my idea has come to fruition.

And it was a mighty tasty idea.

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Serves 3-4

6 chicken thighs, bone-in
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups smoked almonds
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Add smoked almonds to a food processor and pulse until they are fine crumbles. You could also put them in a bag and bash them a bit with a rolling pin or something else heavy...you just want to make sure you get the crumbles fine enough. If they are too big they won't stick to the chicken.

Rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper (while the seasoning on a smoked almond is quite salty, for some reason the chicken still needs to be salted. Go easy on it if you are worried about it and salt it after you have tried it.) Set up three bowls: one with flour, one with eggs and one with the smoked almond crumbs. Dust each piece of chicken with flour, then dip in egg, and then cover with almond crumbs. Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 40-45 minutes and then serve.

Click here for printable version of Smoked Almond Chicken
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THE RESULTS?
These were good. Real good. But can I make a confession to you? After all that thinking and drooling over this would-be recipe, and the thought of those lip smacking almonds coating the chicken I really expected it to be PHENOMENAL. So the end result slightly disappointed me in the fact that it wasn't phenomenal but that they were real good. But when your supper comes out real good there really isn't anything to complain about I guess :)

My husband and I are adventurous eaters and love to explore different cultures cuisines. We haven't delved into Thai food a whole lot so I went looking for a great Thai curry recipe. We LOVE Indian curries but I knew that Thai curries were different in that they are more sour. My foodie friend Dan lived in Thailand for a year and told me about Massaman curry. "Massaman" is a derivation of the word Muslim; this curry is Muslim in origin and strongly influenced by Indian curries.

It is a rich beef curry with a bit of sweetness and is quite nutty from the use of peanuts. If you too love Indian and are unfamiliar with Thai cuisine, this curry is a good way to bridge the gap and explore a new culture with your taste buds.

*Recipe from Thai Table
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Serves 4

1 lb stewing beef, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 onion, diced
2 potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 tbsp massaman curry paste (I use Mae Ploy)
1 can coconut milk
1 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1 tsp tamarind concentrate (optional)

Jasmine rice

In a large pot over medium heat, add a tbsp of oil and the onions. Season the onions well with salt. You want them to sweat and not turn brown, so saute for about 5 minutes. Add the curry paste and the top part of the coconut milk (the thick cream) and saute for 2-3 minutes. Stir constantly because you don't want it to burn, but you want the ingredients in the curry paste to cook well. If the mixture is getting too dry add some of the coconut milk. The pour the rest of the coconut milk in and stir to combine. Continue stirring about 5 minutes or until red oil is starting to rise to the surface and then add the beef and a cup of water (or enough to cover the meat). Turn to heat to low, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will allow the beef time to get nice and tender. Once the beef has simmered add the potatoes, sugar, peanuts and tamarind. Continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. If the liquid level is starting to get low, add a bit more water. Taste the curry and add more salt, sugar or tamarind (sour) as needed.

Serve over jasmine rice.

Click here for printable version of Thai Massaman Curry.
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THE RESULTS?
I was so impressed with this curry. The flavors were rich and complex. At the beginning of the cooking process I tasted the curry once the paste and the coconut milk had simmered together for a couple of minutes. I continued to taste it at each stage of the cooking process and the flavor morphed and changed and became more complex. I was so astounded. The curry tasted completely different from the beginning of the process to the end. It also tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop and gain depth. It really takes on a peanutty flavor. So delicious.

Has anyone noticed it has taken me two weeks to post one week of recipes? I do have excuses for my absence, all of which involve company...and being lazy. My dad was here visiting this week and I found it difficult to steal away and write posts. I'm going to attempt to catch up before I post my new meal plan on Sunday and pretend that a whole week of meals didn't slip into the abyss.

Back to pico de gallo. The fresh flavors of a pico de gallo salsa are a nice change from the jarred variety. It has more zip and pow on your tongue from the raw pungent onions, peppery cilantro, sour lime and of course the heat of the chile. It is a perfect condiment on Authentic Mexican Tacos. Or even just on it's own with tortilla chips to scoop up the deliciousness.

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Makes about 1 1/2 cups

2 tomatotes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced (or about 6 green onions)
1/2 jalapeno, deseeded and finely chopped (this is the heat level I like, so adjust to your own tastes)
1 tbsp lime juice
1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper

Dice the tomatoes and add to a bowl. I like to deseed my tomatoes, but that's because I deseed tomatoes for everything I make...I'm not a fan of the goopy stuff. Feel free to just chop them without deseeding because it's not totally necessary for this recipe. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and stir to mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust salt, lime juice, cilantro and/or jalapeno to your liking. Serve with taco's or as dip for tortilla chips.

Click here for printable version of Pico de Gallo
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THE RESULTS?
Really fresh and really delicious. I love pico de gallo on it's own but it was absolutely fantastic on the Authentic Mexican Taco's I made. What I like about making pico de gallo is that it's a dish that you don't really need a recipe for. You just chop ingredients and mix them together. Yes, you have to make sure all the flavors are in balance but the nice thing is you can alter and adjust to your own tastes. I like that.

While exchanging recipes with a fellow food snob friend, she told me about a delicious cauliflower soup she had created. Even though I had never eaten cauliflower soup before I knew this was something I had to try and create myself. What surprised me was how creamy this soup turned out without having any cream. Healthy?! Non-fattening?! Tasty?! Sign me up.

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Serves 4
Large head of cauliflower (about 2lbs), cut into small florets
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp oil
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 bay leaf
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper

In a large pot over medium-high heat add the butter and oil. Once melted add the cauliflower, carrot and celery and season well with salt and pepper. Saute until the vegetables are tender about 8-10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, milk, bay leaf and red pepper flakes. Turn heat down to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Taste and season again with salt and pepper. You could leave the soup just as is at this point in all it's tender cauliflower chunks, or you could puree in batches in a blender. Be careful to vent the blender a bit. Because the liquid is hot, when you turn the blender on it will explode (I've totally done that before).

Serve with warm crusty bread or buns.

Click here for printable version of Creamy Cauliflower Soup
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THE RESULTS?
As I was making this soup I said to my husband "you don't like cauliflower, do you?" "Not really" was his response. "Try this" I said to him as I scooped a spoonful of chunky cauliflower soup into his mouth. "Kay never mind...maybe I do".

This soup tastes great in it's chunky form or in it's creamy form. I love when simple ingredients can yield such delicious results. Thanks for the idea Tara!


For other frugal meal ideas check out $5 Dinners.

Being a new mom and having a toddler in the house is making for some pretty busy days. Every time I sit down to my laptop to type up the meal plan someone needs milk, a diaper change or tears to be soothed. I'm all about easy lately and since my time is precious my meals are reflecting that. Except for the authentic taco day...that one is for Steve. And for my own piece of mind to test recipes for our upcoming International Dinner.

Day 1: Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Crusty Buns
A friend was telling me how she had made a delicious cauliflower soup and I got the itch to make my own.

Day 2: Tortellini Soup
We're taking Eva to a Doctor's appointment right around supper time so this will be an easy no-effort meal when we get home.

Day 3: Smoked Almond Chicken with Rice and Sesame Stir-Fried Veggies
This is an idea I had awhile ago and now I'm going for it.

Day 4: Slow Cooker Honey-Mustard Lime Chicken over Rice with Steamed Broccoli
An incredibly easy meal to just throw in the crock pot for the day.

Day 5: Authentic Mexican Tacos with Guacamole, Pico de Gallo & Refried Beans
This month's International Dinner Club country is Mexico. I'm trying out recipes before the actual dinner.

So what happens when you love Asian food, have a buttload of ground beef to use up, and don't want a recipe high in fat or calories?

...I give you the bizarro, alternate-universe version of spaghetti and meatballs.

It looks like spaghetti and meatballs only thinner and whiter and gravier and peanuttier. Instead of hangin' out in a pool of tomato sauce these little guys have a decadent combination of peanut butter and coconut milk making them a tad bit irresistible.

And the fact that they are lower in fat and calories makes this one-month post partum baby belly very happy. Any means of keeping the muffin tops at bay is fine by me...especially if peanut sauce is involved.

Recipe from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry
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Serves 4
Meatballs
1 lb lean ground beef
2 tbsp hoisin sauce or Korean BBQ sauce
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
3 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp cilantro, minced
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp sesame oil

Sauce
1 cup light coconut milk
1/3 cup hoisin sauce or Korean BBQ sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp light peanut butter
2 tbsp fresh basil or cilantro, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp lemon zest
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover the bottom of a baking sheet with foil and a light coating of cooking spray. Combine all meatball ingredients in a bowl and roll into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls. That should be about 16-20 balls. Place meatballs on prepared baking sheet and bake 18-20 minutes until golden brown.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat combine all sauce ingredients and whisk to combine. Be liberal with the lemon zest...it adds great freshness to the sauce. Continue to stir until sauce comes to a bowl, then turn the heat down to medium and let cook 3-4 minutes. Turn to low simmer until meatballs are done. When the meatballs are done baking, remove them from the pan and add to the coconut-peanut sauce. Serve over vermicelli noodles (rice noodles) and garnish with a little more chopped basil or cilantro.

Click here for printable version of Thai-Inspired Meatballs in Coconut-Peanut Sauce.
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THE RESULTS?
Mmmmm...these were really good. When coconut milk is added to dishes, sometimes it can have an overpowering rich coconut flavor, but this sauce has great balance. The lemon zest really goes a long way to brighten and freshen the flavor. Even a little squeeze of lemon juice right at the end is nice.  If you had some, adding chopped peanuts over top would be awesome.

The last time I made these I doubled the meatballs and baked them on my day off.  I put one batch in a plastic container in the fridge and one batch in the freezer for later in the month.  On a busy weeknight, I just had to put all the sauce ingredients in a large saucepan and put the meatballs from the fridge in the sauce to heat up.  Fantastic and easy!  I also didn't have any hoisin sauce on hand, but did have some Korean BBQ sauce.  Both are soy based, rich and sweet so I thought it was a good substitute.  Dare I say I liked it even better?  These meatballs are awesome.  Definitely try them.

Meal Ideas:

• Thai-Inspired Meatballs in Coconut Peanut Sauce + Rice Noodles (vermicelli) + Edamame

• Thai-Inspired Meatballs in Coconut Peanut Sauce + Rice + Mixed Stir-Fried Veggies

As pretty and elaborate and fancy as my last template was the craziness of it drove me CRAZY. It was busy and dark and the header was too big so you just saw that big ol' cake instead of my food pics. I've been searching for weeks to find a template and I like the simplicity of this one (does it look familiar?). It's uncomplicated you know? Shows off the food better.

Yeah...I'm pretty sure it's better this way. Any thoughts?

My friend Vanessa sent me this recipe, saying it was delicious and she craved it so much when she was pregnant that she was sometimes making it twice a week. I'm all about oregano and the pungent brightness of lemon, and the two of them together is pretty much a match made in heaven, so I knew before even trying this recipe that I was going to agree with Vanessa.

*Recipe from Teresa @ Allrecipes.com
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Serves 4-6

8 chicken thighs
2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
Zest of lemon

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rinse the chicken thighs and then pat dry. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and place skin side down in a greased 9x13 baking dish. In a resealable glass jar or container, add the olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice, close tightly and shake well. Pour half the lemon oil over the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with 1 tsp of oregano and place in the oven.

Once they have baked for 15 minutes, flip the chicken over, drizzle with the remaining lemon oil and sprinkle on the remaining tsp of oregano. Place back in the oven for 15-20 minutes. To get a nice golden color on the skin, broil for a couple minutes at the end of the baking time.

Serve with wedges of lemon to squeeze more delicious lemony goodness on them at the table.

Click here for printable version of Chicken Oreganato
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THE RESULTS?

These are incredibly simple and delicious. Lemon and oregano are perfect for each other. The lemon oil makes the chicken really moist and juicy on the inside with a nice golden crust on the outside. My husband said it was one of his favorite ways to eat baked chicken. I would agree.

Because of our International Dinner Club I've had the pleasure of tasting a wide variety of culinary countries including Morocco. Sadly, Morocco is the country that I have liked the least so far. In Morocco's defense, a lot of their dishes use cinnamon and dried fruit: two of my least favorite ingredients in savory food. So it's not the cuisines fault...just my own picky palate.

In an effort to keep my tastebuds guessing and expand our palates I decided to give Moroccan food another try. I was pretty sure not everything had cinnamon and dried fruit in it. I came across a recipe in Sunset Magazine that inspired me to create my own Moroccan stew that has one of my most favorite spices in it: cumin. I have a small love affair with cumin and its warm smokiness and always add it in copious amounts whenever I can. There's nothing stopping me from eating Moroccan now - no cinnamon and a buttload of cumin. I can dig it.


*Recipe inspired by Sunset Magazine
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Serves 4

1 lb stewing beef, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried cumin
2 tsp dried coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
Zest of lemon
2-3 tbsp chopped fresh mint

In a bowl, toss the beef with a couple tablespoons of flour to coat. In a large pot, heat a tablespooon of oil over medium-high heat. When the pot is hot, add half of the beef. Don't add all the beef or the heat will drop too much and you won't get a nice brown coating on the meat. Saute for a couple minutes until the beef is nice and browned on all sides. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. You may need to add another tablespoon of oil and then add the rest of the beef. Cook until browned and then add to the rest of the beef that has been removed from the pan. Add just a touch more oil to the pan, turn the heat down to medium and add the onions and garlic to the pot. Saute about 5 minutes or so until the onions have softened. Add the cumin, coriander, tumeric and cayenne and fry about 3o seconds. Add the water, can of tomatoes and the beef and stir. Turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

About 10 minutes before the stew is done, begin to prepare your couscous. Also in a dry pan over medium heat toast the slivered almonds. Once they have a bit of a golden color and you can smell their nuttiness, remove the pan from the heat. Add the almonds to the stew, along with the zest of the lemon. Chop up the mint and stir into stew right before serving.

Serve over couscous.

Click here for printable version of Moroccan Beef Stew with Almonds.
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THE RESULTS?

I was pleasantly surprised with how this turned out. This was the first Moroccan dish I liked! My toddler loved it and my husband thought it was good for a change. He said it isn't something he'd want to eat all the time but it was good to switch it up.

I loved the combination of cumin, coriander, tumeric and cayenne. I had actually intended for this stew to have more of a dominant mint flavor, but I was so pleased with the warm aroma and flavor of the dried spices that I made the mint just an undertone. It's amazing what a brightness the lemon zest adds to the final dish. I also LOVED the crunch and nuttiness from the almonds.

...I still can't believe I ate Moroccan and liked it...

Last week's "Ode to Chinese New Year" while delicious, was a very streamlined, one track plan. In lieu of last week, I made sure to diversify my menu this time around. While I am always quite conscious of eating internationally, I went even further out of my way to capture the flavors this great world has to offer.

Day 1: Best Lasagna with Garlic Bread
I made and froze this in December when I was stockpiling for the baber.

Day 2: Moroccan Beef Stew with Almonds over Couscous with Lemon-Carrot Salad
I'm trying my hand at some Moroccan flavors...I've never been a big fan of this regions cuisine, but I think I've got a recipe to cure my picky palate.
Day 3: Bistro Burgers with Bacon and Creamy Honey-Dijon Sauce with Veggies and Dip
A way to dress up mundane dinner fare.


Day 4: Thai-Inspired Meatballs with Coconut-Peanut Sauce over Rice Noodles with Stir-Fried Veggies
Eating lighter and healthier from the cookbook Eat, Shrink and Be Merry.
Day 5: Chicken Oreganato with Rosemary Sea Salt Roasted Potatoes and Salad
A friend emailed me this chicken recipe and said it was her favorite. I'm excited to try it.





For more meal plan ideas check out my Complete List of Meal Plans or the Menu Plan Monday Links at Orgjunkie.

I've always wanted to try risotto. I've had an unopened bag of Arborio rice sitting in my pantry for about 3 years...my Dad gave it to me when he came for one of his visits. I can't believe it took me this long to finally give it a try!

*Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
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Serves 5-6


8 cups low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups white mushrooms, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup frozen peas
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
Salt & pepper

Heat up the chicken broth and let simmer over a low heat.

In a large pot over medium-high heat add the butter, oil and onion. Saute the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue to saute about another 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and saute for a couple minutes to let the grains toast a bit. Add the wine and stir until the rice has absorbed it. Working in one cup batches, add the chicken stock and stir occasionally until the rice has absorbed the liquid. It will take approximately 5 minutes per cup of stock. Add another cup of stock once the rice has absorbed the cup before it. The rice will need about 6-8 cups of liquid and take approximately 25-30 minutes. You will know it is done once you taste it and the grains of rice are tender and the whole dish is a nice creamy consistency. Remove from the heat and stir in the peas and parmesan. Season well with salt and pepper. Garnish with a little extra parmesan on top.

Click here for printable version of Creamy Mushroom & Pea Risotto.

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THE RESULTS?

Nice and creamy. The risotto is full of flavor and it's probably quite dependent on the quality of the chicken broth. I definitely wouldn't use the chicken bouillon that you dissolve in hot water. I used homemade turkey broth and it was delicious.

Be warned if you've never made a risotto: it's time consuming. Expect to stand in front of the stove for a good 40 minutes or so, without walking away. I made sure that my meat dish didn't require any effort; it just baked in the oven.