QUICK & HEALTHY THAI CHICKEN CURRY #RECIPE #GIVEAWAY BY AUTHOR DENISE SWANSON

Now that I’ve returned from my vacation and am back to my usual eating habits, I thought that I’d share one of my favorite Healthy, Inexpensive, Tasty (HIT) dishes. This one is also quick and easy as prep time is around fifteen minutes and fewer than forty-five minutes to-the-table.

THAI CHICKEN CURRY

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-in. pieces

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 pound diced peeled sweet potatoes (about 3 cups)

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 cup chopped red, orange, or yellow bell pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

 1 (5-oz.) pkg. baby kale (about 5 cups) If you can’t find baby kale you can use spinach or lacinato kale cut into 1-inch pieces.

 1 cup light coconut milk, well stirred

 1 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson 😉)

 2 cups hot cooked quinoa (To cook the quinoa, simmer 1 cup uncooked quinoa in 2 cups water for 14 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.)

 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves

 

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Sprinkle chicken with black pepper and salt; cook, browning on all side and with no pink left in the middle. Place chicken in a bowl

In the same pan as you cooked the chicken, add potatoes, onion, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for three minutes. Add garlic and cook one minute. Stir in curry paste and kale, cooking about two minutes until kale wilts. Stir in coconut milk and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, about fifteen minutes. Return chicken to pan and cook five more minutes.

Divide quinoa among 4 shallow bowls. Top evenly with chicken mixture and cilantro leaves. I like to serve it with yeast rolls.

Here's a bit about my upcoming book:  Tart of Darkness. Available April 3 Amazon

Right when Dani thinks she's hit a dead-end in her career, she unexpectedly inherits an enormous old house in a quaint college town. This gives her the perfect opportunity to pursue her true passion—cooking! So Dani opens Chef-to-Go, preparing delicious, ready-made meals for hungry students attending the nearby university, as well as providing personal chef services and catering events for the local community. To help support her new business, she opens her home to a few students, renting them rooms and becoming almost like a big sister figure in their lives.

But just as Dani is relishing her sweet new life, the friend of one of her boarders is murdered, and Dani becomes one of the primary suspects! She'll have to scramble to clear her name and save her business before the killer reappears—perhaps to silence the new chef forever.

For a chance to win an audible (CD) copy of Dead in the Water leave a comment including your e-mail address.

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QUICK & HEALTHY CHICKEN AND PASTA SKILLET DINNER #RECIPE BY AUTHOR DENISE SWANSON

From Denise:

Hi everyone! As I mentioned in my debut post, my cooking philosophy is HIT—Healthy, Inexpensive, but above all, Tasty. For today’s recipe, I’m adding Quick. Therefore, I'm offering you a recipe that is healthy (under 500 calories a serving), Inexpensive, (under $3.00 a serving) and Quick (Under 35 minutes to prepare). And I guarantee it is very tasty!

QUICK & HEALTHY CHICKEN AND PASTA SKILLET DINNER

Serves 4

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup chopped onion

1 Tablespoon minced garlic (less if you don’t like it too garlicky)

8 cups water

12 ounces uncooked gemelli (or other small pasta)

2  cans of tomatoes and chilies (I use Rotel mild, but if you like Spicer go for it)

6 oz no-salt-added tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 cups baby spinach leaves (I use the whole package)

Parmesan (optional)

Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add pasta; cook 8 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, onions, and garlic. Sauté 6 minutes (or until no pink remains), turning to brown all sides. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Add reserved cooking liquid, tomato/chilies, tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and peppers to skillet; cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add chicken, pasta, and spinach leaves, stirring until spinach wilts. Remove from heat; sprinkle with cheese.    

 

          Here's a bit about my upcoming book:  Tart of Darkness.

Right when Dani thinks she's hit a dead-end in her career, she unexpectedly inherits an enormous old house in a quaint college town. This gives her the perfect opportunity to pursue her true passion—cooking! So Dani opens Chef-to-Go, preparing delicious, ready-made meals for hungry students attending the nearby university, as well as providing personal chef services and catering events for the local community. To help support her new business, she opens her home to a few students, renting them rooms and becoming almost like a big sister figure in their lives.

But just as Dani is relishing her sweet new life, the friend of one of her boarders is murdered, and Dani becomes one of the primary suspects! She'll have to scramble to clear her name and save her business before the killer reappears—perhaps to silence the new chef forever.

*

Friend Denise on Facebook
Follow Denise on Twitter

Follow Denise on Pinterest

Plus check out my website

HEALTHY EGGPLANT PARMESAN#RECIPE BY AUTHOR DENISE SWANSON

From Denise:

Hi everyone! I am so excited to join Mystery Lovers Kitchen and the amazing group of authors who make this such a wonderful blog. For those of you who are asking yourselves, who the heck is Denise Swanson, let me introduce myself. I was a school psychologist for 22 years and continued to work in public education while I wrote the first seven books in my Scumble River mystery series. When I quit to write full time, I began the Deveraux’s Dime Store mysteries. And now that my husband has retired and volunteered to be my sous-chef, I’m starting the Chef-to-Go culinary mystery series. The first book, Tart of Darkness, debuts in April.

My cooking philosophy is HIT—Healthy, Inexpensive, but above all, Tasty. Therefore, I'm offering you a healthy version of Eggplant Parmesan.


HEALTHY EGGPLANT PARMESAN


Serves 8

Preheat oven to 375°


1/2 cup Egg Beaters
1 tablespoon water
2 cups whole-wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (divided)
2 (1-pound) eggplants, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices


Combine 1/2 cup Egg Beaters and 1 tablespoon water in a shallow dish. Combine panko and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a second shallow dish. Dip eggplant in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere and shaking off excess. Place eggplant 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden, turning once and rotating baking sheets after 15 minutes.

1/2 cup torn fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (16-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup Egg Beaters
1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup finely grated fontina cheese


Spoon 1/2 cup marinara sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of eggplant slices over pasta sauce. Sprinkle eggplant with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Top with about 3/4 cup marinara sauce; spread half of ricotta mixture over sauce, and top with a third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Repeat layers once, ending with about 1 cup marinara sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Remove foil; top with remaining third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese melts; cool 10 minutes.

Here's a bit about my upcoming book: Tart of Darkness.

Right when Dani thinks she's hit a dead-end in her career, she unexpectedly inherits an enormous old house in a quaint college town. This gives her the perfect opportunity to pursue her true passion—cooking! So Dani opens Chef-to-Go, preparing delicious, ready-made meals for hungry students attending the nearby university, as well as providing personal chef services and catering events for the local community. To help support her new business, she opens her home to a few students, renting them rooms and becoming almost like a big sister figure in their lives.

But just as Dani is relishing her sweet new life, the friend of one of her boarders is murdered, and Dani becomes one of the primary suspects! She'll have to scramble to clear her name and save her business before the killer reappears—perhaps to silence the new chef forever.

Friend Denise on Facebook
Follow Denise on Twitter
Follow Denise on Pinterest
Plus check out my Website