Product Rave: Trader Joe's Red Curry Simmer Sauce

If you like curry, and you have a Trader Joe's nearby, and you need a quick weeknight meal, you MUST try this sauce!

I cut chicken breasts into 1-inch chunks and sauteed them in a little canola oil until cooked through. I threw in a few handfuls of baby spinach, about a cup of frozen peas, and sauteed a couple minutes longer, added the simmer sauce, and simmered until warm. I served over rice, although you can't tell from the photo.It was absolutely delicious. My only slight complaint was that it was pretty salty. But it's otherwise as good as you'd get at any Thai restaurant.

When Tim tasted it, he looked at me and said, "This is the BEST curry sauce you've ever made!" I told him I didn't actually make it, but I don't think he heard me. He was too busy with his dinner. Then he gave the sauce the best compliment ever: "I think I love this more than tacos."

Enough said.

Tim's Rating: 10/10
Liz's Rating: 9.5/10

Asian Dumpling Soup with Shitakes and Edamame

Inspiration:
Have you ever returned from a vacation where you overindulged, and all you wanted to do was eat spinach and drink water for a week? Tim and I just had a fun-filled trip to the Caribbean, and we enjoyed all the food--perhaps a little too much. This soup was just the healthy, vegetable-packed recipe we were craving.
Recipe adapted from Real Simple


Ingredients:

• 64 ounces low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 16-ounce package frozen pot sticker dumplings or Japanese gyoza
• 2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 4 ounces shiitake or white mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced
• 2 cups frozen shelled edamame
• 1 bunch watercress, thick stems removed (or spinach, see note; about 3 cups)
  
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• kosher salt
• 4 scallions, sliced

Instructions:

1. In a large saucepan, bring the broth and ginger to a boil. Add the pot stickers and carrots and simmer until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms and edamame and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the watercress, soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon salt. Sprinkle with the scallions before serving.

Notes: I substituted 3 cups of spinach for the watercress as my food co-op didn't have watercress. I doubled the mushrooms as Tim loves them.
This is really easy to make as long as you don't mind chopping a few carrots/mushrooms/scallions.

See recipe for nutritional information.


Liz's Rating: 9.5/10
Tim's Rating: 9/10

Sausage and Lentils with Spinach

Inspiration:
Bon Appétit


Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound kielbasa sausage, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 6-ounce packages sliced crimini (baby bella) mushrooms
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 pound dried brown lentils, rinsed
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups (or more) low-salt chicken or vegetable broth
• 10 oz fresh baby spinach leaves

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to plate.
   
2. Add onion and mushrooms to pot; sprinkle with salt and sauté until mushrooms are soft, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and thyme; stir 1 minute. Add lentils and bay leaves; stir to coat. Add 6 cups broth; bring to boil.
   
3. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover with lid slightly ajar, and simmer until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes. Return sausage to pot. Add spinach in 2 batches, stirring until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Recipe Notes: A complete, one-pot meal. Total time: 50 minutes

Nutritional Information--One serving (1/8th of the recipe) contains the following:
Calories (kcal) 466.8
%Calories from Fat 42.0
Fat (g) 21.8
Saturated Fat (g) 6.4
Cholesterol (mg) 41.2
Carbohydrates (g) 43.0
Dietary Fiber (g) 15.2
Total Sugars (g) 6.1
Net Carbs (g) 27.8
Protein (g) 26.9


My Notes:

• Local Twin Citians must try the Hardwood Smoked Country-Style Sausage from Prairie Pride Farm (available at the Saint Paul Farmers Market). I am obsessed with it and look for any excuse to use it! I don't see it for sale on their website, but they always have it at the market.

• Vegetarians/Vegans can try to substitute veggie sausage.

• Chicken sausage could be substituted for those who do not eat pork. Trader Joe's makes a great smoked chicken apple sausage that would be delicious in this.

Tim's Rating: 8.5/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10 (9/10 with bites that included sausage!)

Bourbon Beef Noodle Bowl

Inspiration:
Cuisine at Home


Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 T minced garlic
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• 1/2 t black pepper
• 1/2 boneless beef sirloin steak, sliced into thin bite-sized strips
• 2 T olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 cups sliced onion
• 14 oz low-sodium beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup cubed sweet potato (about 4 oz.)
• 1 cup dry egg noodles
• 2 cups loosely packed spinach
• 1/4 cup sliced scallions

Instructions:

1. Combine bourbon, maple syrup, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add beef, mixing to coat. Cover and marinate beef 15 minutes or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Drain beef through a sieve over a bowl, reserving marinade.
2. Heat 1 T oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add beef and sauté until browned, about 3 minutes, remove from pan; set aside.
3. Add remaining 1 T oil and sauté onion for 5 minutes. Stir in reserved marinade, broth, and water. Add sweet potato and bring to a boil. Add noodles; cook until sweet potatoes are tender and noodles are done, about 8 minutes.
   
4. Stir in beef and spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted. Garnish each serving with scallions.

Nutritional Information for 1/2 recipe: 622 calories; 23 g total fat (5 g saturated); 77 mg cholesterol; 7 g carb; 1070 mg sodium; 6 g fiber; 29 g protein.


Recipe Notes: Bourbon Beef Noodle Bowl is hard to categorize. It's not Asian, it's not European, and it's not traditional American. It slips into its own box: plain good eatin'. This soup provides a whole meal in one bowl...The beef soup is curiously addictive, with flavors that intrigue your taste buds with every bite. With the first spoonful, the flavors of maple syrup and sweet potatoes seem to predominate, but their sweetness is quickly offset by the savory beef, garlic, and spinach.


My Notes: This recipe FAILED. We couldn't even finish it. The bourbon flavor was so strong, it was incredible (incredibly bad). Cuisine at Home needs a better test kitchen.

I am still posting it for a few reasons:

1. One thing I don't like about blogging is that it may seem as if I never have a problem with recipes (yeah right). Recipes fail. It happens to everyone, and that is ok.
   
2. I think this recipe would be good with just a few modifications: (1) marinate the beef for only 15 minutes (2) discard the marinade instead of adding it with the broth (3) double the amount of beef broth (since the marinade isn't added).
   

I liked all of the flavors together.. it's unfortunate that the bourbon overpowered all of the other ingredients.

Malfatti

Inspiration:
NY Times Magazine


Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fresh spinach (weighed after trimming) or 2 packages frozen

• 6 ounces crusty Italian bread (about half a loaf)

• Hot water

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 to 1 cup dry, coarse bread crumbs

• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

• 1/2 cup chopped parsley

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten

• Flour

• 3 cups hot tomato sauce, preferably homemade

Instructions:

1. Cook the fresh spinach in the water clinging to the leaves after washing, or cook the frozen according to package instructions. Drain over a bowl, squeezing out as much water as possible — do this in small handfuls so you can press out the most water — and chop. Reserve the water.
2. Briefly soak the bread in the reserved spinach water plus enough hot water to cover and squeeze dry.
3. Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Mix the spinach, bread, sautéed onion and garlic and put through the finest blade of a meat grinder or pulse in a food processor until chopped, then scrape into a mixing bowl.
4. Add 1/2 cup of the dry bread crumbs, the cup of Parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper and basil. Stir in the eggs. With lightly floured hands, gently shape the mixture into sausagelike links, 1 inch round by 3 inches long. If they do not hold together, add more bread crumbs. Lay on a baking sheet.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the links, one at a time, into the boiling water. Reduce the heat to let the water barely simmer and cook until the malfatti float to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and place in a greased baking dish, large enough to fit the malfatti in a single layer.
6. Spoon the tomato sauce over the links, sprinkle with lots of cheese and broil to reheat.

Recipe Notes:
My Notes: This was time-consuming, but fun to make on a Saturday afternoon that Tim had to work. I clearly didn't broil as directed in step 6, because I knew I couldn't put pyrex in my broiler and I didn't feel like digging around for the right pan. These were surprisingly light, and really delicious. Other recipes for malfatti include ricotta cheese, which I may try next time.


Liz's Rating: 9.5/10
Tim's Rating: 10/10 ("I feel like I am in Italy again.")

Balsamic Lentils with Chicken Sausage

Inspiration:
Cara's Cravings


Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
  
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
  
• 1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
  
• 3 links fully cooked chicken sausage, sliced
• 2T balsamic vinegar, divided
  
• 14oz can diced tomatoes
  
• pinch of dried basil
  
• freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1/2 cup dry lentils
  
• 3/4 cup water
  
• 5 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Instructions:

1. Heat about 1T olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5-8 minutes, until softened.
   
2. Add 1T balsamic vinegar, garlic, chicken sausage, crushed red pepper, basil, salt and pepper and sauté 1-2 minutes more.
   
3. Add the lentils, canned tomatoes, and water, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.
   
4. Add spinach and cook 10 minutes more, until spinach is wilted and lentils are tender.
5. Stir in remaining 1T of balsamic vinegar, and serve.
   

Notes: Cara recommends Member's Mark Asiago & Spinach Chicken Sausage from Sam's Club; I found local chicken sausage at the co-op that was delicious! Vegetarians could easily substitute veggie sausage.


Tim's Rating: 8.75/10
Liz's Rating: 9.5/10

Indian Split-Pea and Vegetable Soup

Inspiration:
The Amazing Race's second pit stop in India
as well as a jalapeño and potatoes from our CSA
and this recipe from Food & Wine


Ingredients:

• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach
• 1 cup yellow or green split peas
• 9 cups water, more if needed
• 2 1-inch pieces fresh ginger, peeled, 1 piece chopped
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 4 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 pound boiling potatoes (about 3), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Instructions:

1. Remove the spinach from the freezer. In a medium saucepan, combine the split peas, 3 cups of the water, the unchopped piece of ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring frequently, until the split peas are tender, about 30 minutes. Add more water if necessary to keep the peas from sticking to the pan.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot, melt the butter over moderately low heat. Stir in the chopped ginger, the jalapeño, turmeric, coriander, cumin, carrots, potatoes, and the remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Add the remaining 6 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are almost tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the spinach and simmer 5 minutes longer.
3. Remove the whole piece of ginger from the cooked split peas and then stir the split peas into the soup. Simmer the soup for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Food & Wine's suggested beverage: "A simple, straightforward, fruity Beaujolais will make a fine accompaniment to this soup. Its vivid cherry and berry flavors will contrast and highlight, not compete with, the earthiness of the dish."

My Notes:
I thought this soup was a bit thin, but the flavors were great. If I make this again, I'll use less water, maybe 2 cups less.

Liz's Rating: 8/10
Tim's Rating: TBD

Next Week on The Amazing Race: Kazakhstan

Thai Spinach with Black Pepper and Garlic

Inspiration:
Spinach from our CSA and this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic

• 8 to 10 cups loosely packed fresh spinach leaves (about 20 ounces)

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce, or 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or white pepper

• 1/4 cup water

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or a wok over medium-high heat for about 1 minute, and then add the garlic. Toss well and add the spinach. Gently turn the pile of spinach to heat most of the leaves. (Add it in 2 or 3 batches if your pan won’t hold all the leaves at first).
   
2. Add the fish sauce or salt,the sugar, pepper and water. Toss well, and then cook, turning often, until the spinach is barely wilted and tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn out onto a deep platter, sauce and all, and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Notes:
"This is my version of the classic Thai dish, pahk boong fai daeng, made with pahk boong, a leafy, hollow-stemmed Asian vegetable known as water spinach. In Thailand, pahk boong is fried over such a hot fire that flames leap out of the wok as the chef toss the greens. My home version will give you most of the fantastic flavor without the unwieldy fire, using a sack of prepared spinach from your grocery store produce section. Forget how health-full spinach is for us – make this just because it tastes so good."


My Notes:
The fish sauce was a bit too much. I didn't care for this.

Tim's Rating: 7/10
Liz's Rating: 6/10

Chicken-Gorgonzola Pasta Salad

Inspiration:
My desire to recreate the pasta salad from D'Amico and Sons and this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. uncooked gobbetti or radiatore pasta
• 4 cubed cooked chicken breasts
• 1lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 4 diced roma tomatoes
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, lightly packed
• 1 cup ranch dressing (more to taste)
• 1 cup gorgonzola, crumbled (4 oz)

Instructions:

1. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.
2. In a large bowl, mix cooked pasta, chicken, bacon, tomatoes and spinach.
3. Pour dressing over pasta mixture, toss until coated.
4. Fold in cheese.
   
5. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
   
   

Liz's Rating: 9/10

Easy Ham and Spinach Quiche

Inspiration:
allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup biscuit baking mix
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 1 large bunch spinach, washed, stemmed, cooked, and chopped
  
• 1 cup cubed cooked ham
• 8 ounces shredded Cheddar or Swiss cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease am 8 x 11 glass baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, beat together milk, eggs, baking mix, butter and cayenne. Batter will be lumpy. Stir in spinach, ham and cheese. Pour into prepared dish.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes, until eggs are set and top is golden brown.

Notes:
The eggs got a bit brown, but it tastes great!

Tim's Rating: 8.5/10
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Turnips with Spinach, Hot Pepper and Garlic

Inspiration:
A recipe on our CSA's newsletter

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch turnips, tops removed, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bunch spinach, trimmed, washed, and chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Toss turnip cubes in colander with salt. Let stand 15 minutes, tossing occasionally. Pat dry turnip cubes.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a very large skillet on moderately high heat. Add turnips and toss until lightly browned, 4-5 minutes.
3. Add garlic and chili flakes and sauté another minute or so.
   
4. Spread spinach over turnips, pressing down firmly. Cover and reduce head to low, cook 2 minutes. Toss, re-cover and cook until turnips are tender, 2 or 3 more minutes.
   
5. Transfer to a serving dish, add remaining oil and vinegar to taste. Serve.
   

Notes: This made enough for a side dish for 2-3 people. It's pretty tasty! I will be making this again the next time I get turnips from my CSA.

Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10

Spinach-and-Feta Potatoes

Inspiration:
Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

• 4 baking potatoes (about 3 pounds)
• 1.5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 2 bunches spinach, coarsely chopped (about 8 cups)
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
  

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Bake the potatoes until cooked through, about 50 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over mediumhigh heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet; add the spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in the vinegar and cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach to the mushrooms; add the feta and stir until mostly melted. Stir in the pine nuts and dill; season with salt and pepper.
4. Cut a deep "X" into the top of each potato and squeeze together to open. Add 1/2 tablespoon butter to each potato then generously stuff each with the spinach mixture.

Suggested Beverage: Red wine (nothing sweet)

Rachael Ray's Notes: This meal for 4 costs $8.96, takes 15 minutes to prep and takes 50 minutes to cook.

My Notes: I don't really like baked potatoes, but this was really good!! It was also very filling. I ate one large baked potato with 1/2 the topping mixture and was very full. Notice that I said one large potato with 1/2 the topping mixture-- I think that the recipe works with two large potatoes, not four. I just kept the other two baked potatoes and will make breakfast home fries with them.

Tim's Rating: 8.5/10 ("I don't think I've had a baked potato in 10 years, and I didn't think I'd like this, but I do.")
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Strawberry and Spinach Salad

Inspiration:
allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• 10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
• 1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion.
2. Cover, and chill for one hour.
3. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Notes: I don't have a photo of the finished dish, because I assembled it at a friend's house.

Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Florentine Mac and Cheese and Roast Chicken Sausage Meatballs

Inspiration:
Modified a recipe by Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

• salt
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
• Black pepper
• 2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs, plus more, if needed*
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 6 ounces fresh baby spinach, stemmed
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg, eyeball it

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
   
2. Place a large pot of water on to boil for pasta. When it comes to a boil, salt it and add the pasta to cook to al dente. Strain pasta reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

3. While the water is coming to a boil, in a large mixing bowl combine the chicken, salt and pepper, rosemary, fennel seeds, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano - a rounded handful, egg and bread crumbs. *If the mixture seems too wet, add a handful of bread crumbs and mix together.

4. Form 8 large round balls, about 3 to 4-inches. Coat balls in a couple of tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and lightly grease a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Arrange balls on the baking sheet and roast 17 to 18 minutes until juices run clear

5. While the meatballs roast, in a medium sauce pot over medium heat, melt butter, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock and milk, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, add spinach and thicken 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 cup grated Parmigiano and reduce heat on lowest setting.

6. Toss pasta with the spinach-white sauce and adjust seasonings.

7. Serve Florentine Mac-n-Cheese with 2 meatballs per person along side.

Notes: The chicken meatballs are really, really good. The fennel shines in the dish. The sauce is also pretty good- not gluey like I was expecting.

Tim's Rating: 9/10 ("Can you make these again next week?")
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Spinach Frittata

Inspiration:
The frittata recipe in Joy of Cooking, but modified.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 cup sliced onion
• 4 ounces fresh spinach (2/3 of a bag)
  
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add onions, and cook, stirring, until golden brown.
3. Add spinach and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
4. Transfer vegetables to a strainer to drain off the excess oil. Let cool completely.
5. Preheat the broiler.
6. Meanwhile, beat eggs, salt, and pepper together until smooth.
7. Add cooled vegetables and Parmesan.
8. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter) in skillet over medium heat.
9. When hot, pour in the egg mixture. Reduce the heat and cook until the bottom is set, then place under broiler for 30 to 60 seconds to finish cooking.
10. Loosen the frittata with a spatula and slide it onto a plate. Cut into wedges.
    

Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10