Curry and Comfort's Weekly Sunday Summary 3/4/13 thru 03/10/13

Hi Everyone,

This week was all about soups, healthy meals and a fun cute treat for my kids.   I loved all the dishes, but those snails really became a family favorite.

We finally are in Daylight Savings time (so more daylight hours for us).  That always makes me happy.  The only thing that does not make me happy is losing that one hour of sleep last night.  I am an early morning riser (no alarm clock and no coffee required), but it always becomes difficult to get up for those first few days when we lose that hour.   I don't know why a hour would make such a big difference in my sleep cycle but it does.  It's even worse on my kids.  Waking kids for school will be an extra big chore this coming week.  **Yaaawwn**  I'm tired (to say the least)... maybe looking at all my dishes from last week will perk me up so here's my week in review...

Parsley Sambol (Salad)

Honey Soy Glazed Salmon

Roasted Tomato Soup with Garlic Toast Croutons

Cinnamon Roll Snails

Lemony Chicken Soup with Orzo Pasta

 

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

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Lemony Chicken Soup with Orzo Pasta

 The cold weather that we had in the past few days had my soup pot working overtime.  I had some leftover rotisserie chicken from dinner so I used it to make quick stock and then this Lemony Chicken Soup with Orzo pasta.  It was a bright and flavorful way to bring some sunshine to dismal weathered day.

Ingredients:
 To make the stock:
leftover roast chicken including any drippings from roast
1 lemon sliced
1 lemon juiced
2 carrots coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery coarsely chopped
1/2 large onion coarsely chopped
2 stalks of celery coarsely chopped
1 carrot coarsely chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste
3-4 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
Water to fill pot above chicken (8-10 cups)

Ingredients for Soup
2 carrots sliced
1 cup frozen peas
shredded chicken (from stock)
1 cup cream or half and half (regular milk can be substituted)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
salt and pepper as needed
chicken bullion as needed
Orzo (See Note)

Note:  Cook orzo pasta in well salted water per package instructions.  Serve cooked orzo into bowls and top with soup.  If you are serving the entire pot of soup immediately, the orzo can be cooked in the soup.  But if you are going to serve it later or save it as leftovers, I recommend cooking the pasta separately so it does not bloat in the soup.

Directions:

For Stock:

Place all ingredients into pot and boil for 45 minutes.  Taste for seasoning.  After stock has boiled and reduced/concentrated in flavor strain stock away from the ingredients using a colander.  To do this I placed a large heat proof bowl (or another pan) under a colander.  Then I pour the stock through the colander and it separated the whole pieces from the stock.  I placed the strained stock back into my soup pot and then picked out all the good chicken meat off the bone. You may have to wait until the chicken cools off so you can handle it with your hands. Discard the boiled onions, celery, carrots because their flavor has been infused into the stock and is not longer needed.  

 Note:  if you have oil on top of the stock, just skim in with a spoon before proceeding.

 For Soup:
Cook carrots and peas with shredded chicken in prepared chicken stock.  Once carrots are tender turn stove down to low and and add milk/ cream and Parmesan cheese and  stir gently.  Taste for seasoning and turn off stove.  Place orzo pasta in each soup bowl and top off with soup.   Garnish  lemon slices.  Enjoy.


 

 

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

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Roasted Tomato Soup with Garlic Toast Croutons

Cold weather calls for comfort food and there is nothing more basic and comforting than warm bowl of tomato soup.  I have made homemade tomato soup before by cooking down the tomatoes and adding a lot of spices and herbs, but this time I wanted the tomatoes to really be the star of the soup so I roasted them first.  I think this is my favorite tomato soup EVER.   It was so clean, simple and flavorful.  Roasting the ingredients really made the tomatoes, onions and garlic taste beautifully rich.  The soup was so creamy and full of body with no cream added so it's a great Vegan option.  The garlic croutons were a perfect topping to give some added texture to the soup.  My kids came home from school and I offered them soup (expecting them to decline it), but they each had a big bowl and really loved the croutons.  I may still experiment with more tomato soups because I love to experiment with recipes, but this is always going to be a personal favorite.

 Ingredients:

To Roast Tomatoes:
4-5 cups of fresh tomatoes chopped into large pieces
6-8 cloves of garlic
2 medium onions cut into large chunks
salt and black pepper to taste
2-3 Tbs olive or canola oil

Soup:
All roasted tomatoes, onions and garlic (with all pan drippings)
1 quart chicken stock (for vegan version use vegetable stock)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
red chili powder or cayenne powder to taste
pinch of sugar to taste (if needed)


 Garlic Toast Croutons:
Thick sliced white or sourdough bread
butter/margarine as needed (for vegan version use a vegan substitute)
granulated garlic as needed
dried parsley as needed

***Roasting tomato recipe for soup adapted from Tyler Florence.

 Directions:
Season tomatoes, garlic cloves, and onion with salt, pepper and oil.  Roast in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Place all roasted ingredients into a soup pan with roast pan drippings.  Add 1 quart stock, cumin powder, chili powder, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.  Bring to a simmer then use a immersion blender to blend until smooth.

Once soup is blended, strain through a sieve for a very creamy smooth soup.   To make croutons, butter bread on both sides then sprinkle with some granulated garlic and dried parsley.  Grill on a skillet until browned on both sides. Allow bread to cool then cut into squares and place onto top of soup before serving.  Enjoy.

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

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Cinnamon Roll Snails

I was browsing the Pillsbury Facebook fan page when these cute cinnamon roll snails caught my eye.  They were so fun and cute that I had to call my kids over to show them.   My kids just loved them and they were fascinated that a cinnamon roll could turn into such an adorable little snail.  So of course this morning I popped over to the grocery store to buy some cinnamon rolls so I could make these for my kids as an after school surprise.   My kids were thrilled to bits when they saw these cuties...they almost didn't want to eat them.  Even my hubby had to giggle on how adorable these "snails" looked. This fun treat is too cute not to pass on so I hope you like them too.

 

Ingredients:

1 store bought tube of large cinnamon rolls with icing

mini white marshmallows as needed

10-20 chocolate chips melted (in microwave)

toothpicks as needed

 

Directions:

Prepare Cinnamon Rolls as directed.   Make sure you leave the cinnamon roll undone at the end so it forms the "snail's head".  Bake in oven as directed and ice.  

Prepare eyes by dabbing a dot of melted chocolate on the mini marshmallows.  Insert toothpicks as shown and place as eyes.  Enjoy. 

 

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

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Honey Soy Glazed Salmon

My post today is dedicated to Heart Disease Awareness.  It's a a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen of Juanita’s Cocina.  Heart disease touches almost all our lives. I have personally lost two uncles and an aunt to this disease.   According to statistics at World Health Organization  cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the world.

Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic lost her Mom to heart disease when her mother was 47, and Kim was 15. Each year on the day her Mom passed she shares stories and photos of her Mom. This year she joined forces with Jen of Juanita's Cocina, whose life was also touched by heart disease when her Stepfather had a heart attack.  Jen's Stepfather is alive and well more than a decade later, and for that,  Jen is thankful every day. So today many of our blogger friends will share stories and recipes from our hearts to yours, in memory and honor of Momzie, Kim's Mom. We hope you will share your stories with us today as well.

                                                                

 
I made a dish that is so easy anyone can pull this together.  It's a dish that you can eat any night of the week or even entertain with because it's just that good. I found this dish over at Eating Well,  a site dedicated to good food meeting good health.  I love Asian flavors and it really makes this simple (yet elegant) salmon taste fantastic.   Now I was so excited about making this dish I totally forgot the garnish of sesame seeds.  It was still fantastic... but next time I am totally getting sesame seeds to get the full experience.

Ingredients:

4 fillets of salmon (take 1lb salmon fillet cut it into four equal pieces)

For Marinade and sauce:
1 scallion, minced
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

 

Directions:

Mix all marinade/sauce ingredients together and set aside.  Place salmon fillets into plastic storage bag then pour 3 Tbs of the marinade into bag. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.   Reserve remaining sauce for later.

Heat broiler.  For easy clean up line a baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray. Place marinated salmon skin side down (do use marinade in bag). Broil 4-6 inches from the heat until cooked through.  Eating Well recommends 6-10 minutes.

Finally garnish each cooked salmon fillet with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.

 Since I am not a nutritionist, the nutrition content provided below is from Eating Well.  Source:  http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/honey_soy_salmon.html

 

Nutrition

Per serving :234 Calories; 13 g Fat; 3 g Sat; 5 g Mono; 67 mg Cholesterol; 6 g Carbohydrates; 23 g Protein; 0 g Fiber; 335 mg Sodium; 444 mg Potassium
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1/2 other carbohydrate

 

  Here all all the bloggers participating in today's event and their links:

Spicy Oven Fries by Cravings of a Lunatic

Healthy Snacking with Radish Dip by Juanita's Cocina

Arugula, Walnut Pesto by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

Farro, Apple & Pecan Salad by It's Yummilicious

Chicken-Quinoa Burgers with an Avocado Yogurt Sauce by The Spiffy Cookie

Pasta House Wilted Salad by Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker

Gooey Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars by The Cooking Actress

Dark Chocolate Covered Walnuts by All Day I Dream About Food

Mini Pear Walnut Crisps with Blood Orange Caramel Sauce by Chocolate Moosey

Kung Pao Chicken Tacos by The Dutch Baker's Daughter

Honey Soy Glazed Salmon by Curry and Comfort

Apple Walnut Spinach Salad by Magnolia Days

Broiled Salmon Gyros with Cucumber Feta Yogurt Dip by Damn Delicious

Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Make-Ahead Chocolate Oatmeal by Crumb

Hoisin Flounder by Taking on Magazines

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen

Veggie Nachos by Dine & Dish

Cheesy Quinoa and Asparagus Bake by Hungry Couple

Ahi Tuna Salad by Noshing with the Nolands

Canapes of Apricot, Goat Cheese, Almonds and Rosemary by Cook the Story

Thai Chicken Soup by From Cupcakes to Caviar

Italian Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf by Rachel Cooks

Black Bean Quesadillas by Pastry Chef Online

Sautéed Rataouille with Quinoa by Whipped

Polenta Rounds with Apples and Cheddar by Diethood

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

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Parsley Sambol (Salad)

Parsley is not just a garnish, in this sambol it is the star ingredient. This sambol is so fresh and bright that I could eat it plain.  I did enjoy with rice, lentils and a few other curries. I think this salad would be even amazing mixed with some canned tuna fish as a very fresh tuna salad.

In Sri Lanka we have a green called Gotu Kola that is prepared the same way as the parsley sambol.  Here in the States, this green is not available so parsley is a great substitute. 

 Ingredients:
1 large bunch of parsley (flat or curly) finely shredded
1 cup finely diced tomatoes ( I like Roma tomatoes for this)
1 small red onion
1-2 green chilies finely sliced (seeded for less heat)
1/3 cup dessicated coconut
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
small pinch of sugar (optional)
juice of 1 lemon (or to taste)

Note: I did not finely shred my parsley as I usually do for the sake of getting the parsley represented in the photographs.  I suggest you shred the parsley more than represented in my pictures.

Directions:
Prepare all ingredients and mix together.  Make sure you remove any thick stems from the parsley and seed the tomato before chopping. Mix well and serve as a side dish with rice and curry meal.  Enjoy.

 


Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

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Curry and Comfort's Weekly Sunday Summary 2/25/13 thru 03/03/13

Hi Everyone,

We are officially two months into 2013 and in the month of March.  Time is flying by so fast that I forgot an important milestone in my blog's life.  It's 2nd birthday.  I should have celebrated it on February 25th... but it totally slipped my mind.   Good thing I still celebrated the day (unknowingly) with a fun Curry and Comfort dish... Curried Chicken Cottage Pie.  Now talk about truly representing what my blog is all about.  I could not have asked for a better dish to describe my love all all things curry and foods that are so comforting. 

It was a fun week in food so here is my week in review...

Chocolate and Candy Covered Pretzel Rods

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Baked Beans

Thai Basil Eggplant Stir Fry

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Curried Chicken Cottage Pie with Cauliflower Topping

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

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