Chicken and Apricot Masala

Adapted from NYT Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried apricots
• ½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 4 whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom (or 4 pods, lightly crushed)
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1/4 cup garlic-infused olive oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 small red or yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped, about 1/2 cup*
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 pounds skinless chicken breast, tenderloins, or thighs, in 1" dice
• 4 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste, diluted in 1/2 cup water (or 1/2 cup diced canned tomatoes in liquid)
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves 

*substitute try green onions or green leeks in place of onion, for low FODMAP

Directions

1. Soak apricots overnight in 2 cups cold water, or cover with 2 cups hot water and soak until swollen and softened, 2 to 3 hours.
2. Prepare masala: In a small bowl, combine hot pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, cloves, cardamom, and ginger. Add 1/4 cup water, and stir to make a paste. Set aside.
3. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, heat oil and cinnamon stick. Add onions and salt, and sauté until onions begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add masala, and stir. Add chicken, and stir for about 5 minutes. Add apricots and their soaking liquid, diced tomatoes and diluted tomato paste.
4. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Check cooking liquid about halfway through; if chicken is covered with liquid, remove cover for remainder of cooking. Transfer to a large bowl, sprinkle with cilantro and serve hot with basmati rice.

 

Black Pepper Chicken with Mangoes and Cashews

Adapted from NYT Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil 
• 1/2 cup salted cashews
• 1 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions or leeks
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro stems
• 2 tbsp dark rum
• 1 large (15-ounce) mango, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (or use 2 small mangoes)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar, to taste
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves  

 Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cashews and sugar-spice mixture to the skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until nuts are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape nuts into a bowl. (Note: be sure to stir, or nuts will burn.)
2. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel. Season chicken all over with salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Return skillet to medium-high heat and add the 3 tablespoons garlic-infused oil. Add scallions/leeks and cilantro stems; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes (do not overcook). Pour in the rum and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the rum evaporates, about 1 minute.
3. Remove pan from heat and immediately add nuts, mango, vinegar and cilantro leaves. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
4. Optional: remove chicken mixture from pan using a slotted spoon and place in a covered bowl. (Leave remaining liquid in pan.) Fill pan with baby spinach leaves and cook on medium-high, stirring to coat leaves with liquid, about 5 minutes or until spinach wilts. Serve as a side vegetable. 

Serve chicken on basmati rice and/or with cooked spinach. 

Sweet Potato Latkes

Modified from https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/sweet-potato-latkes-105919 

Ingredients

2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
4 scallions (or equivalent chives or green part of leeks), finely chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (GF flour also works)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients through pepper. (Note: If you want more of a patty, mix yams and scallions, then regrind in food processor to desired texture/consistency.)

Pour oil into large, non-stick frying pan until it just covers the bottom of the pan. Heat on medium. Once oil is hot, reduce heat to medium-low.

Using your hands, form balls of approximately 1-1/2" or 2", place in pan, and press down with fingers or a fork. 

Flip latkes when golden. If flipped too early, flip back until desired done-ness -- approximately 2 minutes per side.

Lamb and Sweet Potato Fritters

See https://alittlebityummy.com/recipe/en-us/low-fodmap-sweet-potato-lamb-fritters-with-salad/

Serve with/on a salad

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Adapted from Table magazine; original recipe by Joseph Tambellini

Ingredients for gnocchi

1 butternut squash, but in half lengthwise 

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan 

Additional 1 c flour for prep, spread out on aluminum foil or a cookie silpat

1 tsp salt

Ingredients for sauce

3 tbsp butter

4 oz smoked mozzarella, cut in small pieces

2 tbsp chopped (small) Italian parsley
1 small head cauliflower
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place squash halves on greased baking sheet or silpat, cut side up.
2. Cut the cauliflower head in half and coat evenly with olive oil, 1 tbsp butter, salt, and pepper to taste. Add to baking sheet with butternut squash
3. Bake butternut squash until tender — 40 minutes or longer. If cauliflower is roasted (browned) before squash is done, remove and continue baking the squash.
4. Cool squash slightly and remove the pulp with a spoon. Place pulp in a kitchen towel and squeeze out about 1/2 cup of the juices (don't squeeze too much of the gnocchi will be dry).
5. Place squash in a large bowl and season with 1 tbsp salt, the egg, 1 1/2 cups of flour, and 1/2 c Parmesan. Mix well with a spoon until thoroughly combined.
6. Lightly flour another bowl, place gnocchi mixture in it, cover with a kitchen towel, and place in freezer for 1 hour so the mixture firms up and is easier to work with. While squash mixture is cooling, cut cauliflower into florets.
(Alternatively, do all of this earlier in the day, or the night before, and leave squash mixture in fridge, covered with a kitchen towel, until ready to use — no more than 24 hours.)
7. Spread 1 c flour on cookie sheet silpat. Use a teaspoon to scoop the dough (about a cherry-tomato-sized ball) and roll in in the flour. Use a fork to finish it with the traditional gnocchi football shape. Repeat process until dough is used.
8. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and gently lower gnocchi into pot. Cook gnocchi until they float, about 2 minutes (maybe longer). Use slotted spoon to remove gnocchi from water as soon as they are floating.
9. While gnocchi are cooking, melt 3 tbsp butter in a large skillet. Place gnocchi directly in skillet after done boiling.
10. Add mozzarella, parsley, and separated cauliflower florets. Stir in a few ounces of the cooling water so it remains moist, and let the gnocchi-cauliflower mixture cook until the mozzarella begins to melt. Serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan.

Favorite Recipes for Preserved Fruit/Veggies (Links)

Serrano Pepper Jelly

Raspberry Preserves

Tomato Jam

Quince Jam

Spiced Quince Jam

Pineapple Habanero Jelly/Sauce

Spinach feta quiche

Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

1 refrigerated pie crust, room temperature
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
1 large red bell pepper, sliced or chopped
5-6 large mushrooms, sliced
3 cups (packed) fresh spinach
1 tsp dried basil or oregano
4 oz feta crumbles
2 large eggs
4 oz heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 F.

In large, non-stick skillet, heat butter and cook peppers and mushrooms until almost done (minimal juice remains), then add spinach and saute until fully wilted (the more cooked, the better).

If the pie crust is not already in a pan, place in a 9" pan and cook 7 minutes. (Works well if you spray the bottom of the pan with non-stick spray.)

While the crust is baking, beat the eggs in a small bowl and mix in the cream.

Remove pie pan from oven and sprinkle feta on bottom, then add veggie mixture. Pour egg-cream sauce on top.

Return to oven and cook 15 minutes at 425. Lower heat to 350 and cook 10 more minutes, until quiche is set.

Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes before serving.


Serves 8, 239 cal per serving (17 g fat; 7 g protein; 16 g carbs)