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!

Creamy Potato Leek Soup

Prep time: 40 mins Cook time: 10 mins Serves: 6

Ingredients:

4 organic leeks
4 organic carrots
8 large organic potatoes or 16 small
1 sausage, vegan or chicken
3 cloves of garlic
4 cups of organic milk or milk alt.
4 cups of water
1 tbls salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp parsley
a few sprigs of rosemary


Directions:

1) Start potatoes in water on high.

2) Start saute pan on med-high with a coat of olive oil.
Cut leeks, carrots, garlic and sausage into small dices.

3) Saute leeks and carrots in olive oil in one regular sized saute pan on med-high. Cook garlic and sausage into smaller saute pan on medium.

This is what your stovetop should look like at this point! ;)

(Once leeks, carrots, sausage and garlic are browned, they can sit aside)

4) Start dicing the potatoes you put aside in cool water, careful they may still be very hot. Peel if you like, I peeled some but left some peels too ;)

5) The remaining potatoes in water are ready to mash, leave them in the pot, but put potato water aside for now. Mash the potatoes in the pot with milk until a very creamy mashed potato consistency at medium temperature.

6) Add back 4 cups of your potato water to mash, stir soup with large spoon, add in your leaks and other diced potatoes, carrots and garlic but do not mash anymore.





7) Add seasonings and salt to taste. Turn to low and stir often. Its ready to eat when hot throughout.

Enjoy with a little cheese on the top with fresh ground pepper, and a side of delicious artisan bread. ;)

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.

Enchiladas- Vegetarian or Low Carb or Gluten Free Versions

Hello, there and welcome to my blog! I am so glad you stopped by and hope you will follow us, make a comment, and come back to see what we are up to next! This recipe has become quite the Pinterest sensation and I am so happy to share my kitchen with all of you! 

Enchiladas are great because they are so tasty and so versatile. You can make many variations of enchiladas for almost any diet needs from gluten free, dairy free, and even vegetarian or vegan. I have made so many variations on enchiladas its kind of ridiculous. If I weren't afraid of getting sick of one of my favorite dishes, I would devote a whole blog just to variations of enchiladas. Instead I will leave the choices up to you, I hope you enjoy the endless possibilities are seriously delicious!

See more of my recipe ideas here! 

Also, if your interested, my story, my urban garden, or my inspiration, I'd love for you to stay for a minute! 

Serves 4-6   Cook time 40 mins

Ingredients:
1 fresh tomato
1 can red enchilada sauce (bigger the more you like the sauce)
1/2 sauteed onion
3 chicken breasts or 1 lb of meat of choice or 1 pkg tempeh
Flour, corn, or low carb tortillas, your choice
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Olives, fresh tomatoes and cilantro

Different Variations to try:
Creamy Enchiladas- Use 1 pkg. cream cheese to melt with chicken, but use green sauce rather than red
Red and Green Enchiladas- Use green and red sauce and mix the two
Leftover Turkey Enchiladas- Use that leftover turkey from thanksgiving for a delicious flavor
Vegetarian- Saute up some veggies to fill the tortilla and add beans of your choice, and tempeh or tofu
Vegan- Corn tortillas, sauteed veggies, beans, cooked tofu or tempeh, top with extra sauce or cheese replacement of your choice.
Low Carb and Gluten Free- Use corn tortillas rather than flour, don't use tempeh or beans

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) Boil water in saucepan and drop in chicken, once cooked cool, add seasonings and use for filling for enchiladas. Skip this step if not using tempeh instead. If you want to make creamy enchiladas now is the time to add cream cheese.
3) Empty 1/2 of your enchilada sauce and coat the bottom of a 9x12 baking pan. Make rolled "burritos" with tempeh or chicken, cheese, a little sauce, onion, and roll up. Lay in baking pan until full.
4) Add sauce over top and coat with cheese, more onions, and olives if you so choose. Bake 30 mins, let cool for 10 before serving, Enjoy with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa, and don't forget, change it up and make them a little different everytime!!!

Let me know what you think and what you tried at home, I'd love to hear about your "takes" on enchiladas, happy cooking and as always, Thanks again for stopping by!
-Stacy

Penne Pasta with Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce

Penne Pasta with Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce sides; bacon wrapped lions mane and roast Potatoes

Ingredients:

Start water Penne Pasta

Olive Oil

Cream sauce:

1/2 cup of milk

1/2 cup of half and half

2 cups mix of wild mushrooms (your choice) ...we used chantrelle, lions mane, and oysters (all local in beautiful Oregon if you know how to pick mushrooms ;)

1/2 cup white wine

up to 1/2 cup of flour

Directions:

Start boiling down milk and half in half in saucepan on medium low. Start to Saute the mushrooms in a little bit of olive oil. Add milk wine and season with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs of your choice. Stir often. Once mushrooms are cooked down add to sauce pan with cream sauce, add 1 tsp of flour (of your choice) at a time and stir until creamy but not to thick. Taste and add extra seasonings and Parmesan at this time, Strain noodles and serve.

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