Thai Curry (Chicken or Tempeh version)

Prep time: 20 mins Cook Time: Vegetarian Version 20-30 mins Chicken Version 30-45 mins
Meal for 4, Can be made indoors or outdoors. One thing I am known for is creating epic camp meals, I like to cook most over a fire, however this meal was created on a 1/2 grill and 1 burner coleman stove and rice was cooked over the campfire.

Ingredients:
2 cups Organic Brown Rice
 4 cups Water

Sauce:
Organic Coconut milk
2 cloves Minced Garlic
2 Medium potatoes diced
2 carrots diced
5 tbls curry powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp cardamom
pinch cinnamon
Splash fish oil
1/2 cup peanut butter

Protien:
Chicken for 4
or 1 pkg tempeh
Pre marinade however you like, tastes great in coconut sauce.

Directions:
1) Cut potatoes and carrots, start sauteing in small wok on medium heat. This is a good time to start chicken cooking and water for rice started.

2) Prep onions and garlic for stir fry. Add in to dish in about 10 mins. I sauteed some bell peppers too, however they were on the side and not in the dish.

3)  Start sauce, add all ingredients and taste . Start tempeh, add rice to water and reduce heat to low. 4) Add garlic and onion to stirfry. Once onions are clear, add coconut milk sauce over your stirfry.  

5) When all elements of meal are complete, it is ready to serve. Enjoy at home or at your picnic table! Thanks for stopping in, come back soon to see what we are up to next! And please subscribe or follow me  if you like this blog, thanks for your support!

Spaghetti and Meatballs- Vegetarian Option

Serves: 4-6    Prep time: 45 mins

Ingredients:
2 cans marinara of choice
Spaghetti noodles of choice

Meatballs:
2 cups prepared Textured vegetable protien
1/2 package of tempeh diced
or
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
1 lb Organic Angus Beef
2 cloves garlic
1/2 onion diced
Salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings



Directions:
1) Start marinara in large saucepan on medium-low, I like to add a 1/2 cup of wine so it takes longer to cook down.
2) (skip to step 4) Start your meatballs! Preheat medium sized saute pan to medium high. In bowl mix all ingredients with hands and form mid-sized meatballs, as you make them place them on the hot pan, saute shifting sides often to avoid burning.

3) Test meatball, if middle is only slightly pink you can add them in, if you want you can skip the pan frying of he meatballs and place right into hot marinara. This way takes several hours so I suggest sauteing to save time for a quick dinner.

4) After middle is only slightly pink add to your marinara. Cook sauce and meatballs for about 20 mins and prep noodles and sides in the meantime.







* While visiting Italy (read about my Italian inspiration) I enjoyed sauces made from fresh tomatoes, therefore watery and very unlike any store bought sauce I've ever had. I now insist on making my own sauce from garden tomatoes and canning them to eat throughout the year. Summer 2012, look forward to canning and creating your own amazing Italian marinara.

Chicken Parmesan or Vegetarian Tempeh Version

Breaded Chicken Parm, topped with marinara and mozzarella, on a bed of orzo

Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins or longer

Dry ingredients:
1 cup of herbed bread crumbs
3/4 cup Parmesan
Dry basil


Wet Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup of milk
2 tsp olive oil
1 lbs chicken breasts or de-boned thighs or 1 pkg of tempeh

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Oil a 8x8 baking pan and prep chicken.
2.  Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, mix wet in another bowl. Dip chicken into batter then coat with            breadcrumbs and parmesan and lay in baking pan.
3.  Bake for approx  mins or until done. Start prepping for sauce as soon as chicken is in.

Sauce:
2 cups stewed diced tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp dry basil
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp parmesan
2 tbsp capers
salt and pepper

Directions continued...
4.  Combine ingredients for sauce and stew at medium heat.
5.  Prepare pasta of choice
6.  Lay pasta, top with sauce if you like, top with baked chicken or tempeh, layer with sauce, garnish with cheese and basil sprig if you like and more parmesan of course ;)

Garnish 
Fresh Basil
Mozzerella slice

Stir Fry with Spicy Ginger, Pineapple, and Tomato Sauce

DIRECTIONS AND INGREDIENTS:

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins
Serves 4

Helpful advice:

Prep work- cut veggies, marinade protein, boil water for rice

First- start sauce, start oil and seasons on wok, add rice to boiling water, start baking or bbq'ing protein

Next step- add dense veg to wok, add thickner to sauce, check and rotate protien

To Finish- Add less dense veggies with a "cover" over to "steam" for last part, Cover protien with sauce for last 5 mins of cooking, stir rice and sauce, taste!

Stir Fry Ingredients:

Broccoli, bok choy, carrot, bell pepper, onion, zuchinnis, pineapple ect...

Directions for Stir fry:

Coat large frying pan or wok with sesame oil at medium high temp.

Add minced garlic and ginger and other seasonings such as salt

Add in denser veggies like carrot, zuchinnis, onions and let saute til slightly soft then;
Add in rest of veggies (dense to less dense) until steaming hot and slightly fried, crisp but not overcooked.

 I like my veggies more crispy, they are healthier as well, and less nutrients are cooked out, when still "living"

Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup diced Pineapple
1 whole tomato
1/4 + tsp cayenne (to taste)
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. water
1/8 c. rice vinegar
1/4 tsp. thickening agent like arrowroot or cornstarch
ground ginger to taste

Directions for sauce:

Mix all ingredients into saucepan and cook on med/ low while preparing stir fry veggies, stir often, if too thick add more water, add more cayenne if you have a spice for life.
Optional Protien- Marinated Tempeh or Chicken:

Marinade: Tamari, rice vineager, pineapple juice, sesame oil and seeds, and cayenne pepper.

Bake or grill strips of marinated chicken or tempeh on shish-ka-bob sticks