One-Pot Chickpea Coconut Curry

by Leslie Budewitz

Vegan, Thai, and yummy!

One-pot meals are super on weeknights. This one takes less than half an hour from chopping to eating, with enough time while the pot is simmering to saute some vegetables, grill some naan, and start on a glass of a nice white wine—any Chardonnay would be good with this dish, especially an unoaked or lightly oaked variety, or a fruity Pinot Grigio.

We love the Southeast Asian spices, and this recipe blends them beautifully. There are times when frozen vegetables are useful, and this is one of them. Curries vary a great deal in flavor and heat; adjust the amount based on your curry and your taste.

(Adapted from a recipe in Costco magazine)

One-Pot Chickpea Coconut Curry

1-15 ounce can coconut milk
3 cans of water (just fill that coconut can 3 times; the water will rinse out any cream stuck in the can)
2 cups basmati rice, uncooked
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup carrots, diced (about 2 medium carrots)
1 3-4 ounce potato, cubed (a Yukon Gold is lovely)
1-15 ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
1-3 tablespoons curry blend

1 tablespoon soy sauce
juice of 1 lime (3 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped

In a 6-8 quart stockpot, combine the coconut milk, water, rice, garlic, carrots, and potato. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, loosely covered, stirring occasionally, 15-20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the sauce is quite thick.

Add the frozen corn and peas and stir until cooked and fully combined. Depending on the thickness, you may want to add up to ½ a can of water.

Just before serving, add the curry, soy sauce, lime juice, and cilantro. Stir to combine, then serve in pasta bowls.

Serves 8-10. Reheats nicely; spritz with water before reheating to plump the rice.

Good accompaniments: Steamed broccoli and cauliflower and grilled naan.

ASSAULT AND PEPPER, first in the Seattle Spice Shop Mysteries (March 2015, Berkley Prime Crime)

Leslie Budewitz is the only author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction—the 2013 Agatha Award for Best First Novel, for Death al Dente (Berkley Prime Crime), and the 2011 Agatha Award for Best Nonfiction, for Books, Crooks & Counselors: How to Write Accurately About Criminal Law & Courtroom Procedure (Quill Driver Books).

Connect with her on her website, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

Mexican Meatball Soup #recipe @LucyBurdette

LUCY BURDETTE: There comes a time during the holiday season when you cannot eat one more cookie. No more sugar, no more chocolate, and definitely no more turkey. I'm not there yet, but I know I will be!

This dish is perfect for the overindulged, because it’s full of holiday color, but warm and slightly spicy instead of sweet. It’s not fatty either because you bake the meatballs ahead of time. You could serve it with cornbread or biscuits and a green salad and easily call it dinner! If you don’t do a big Christmas Eve dinner, this could do the trick for that night too. And hey, speaking of celebrations, this would do nicely for a post-book launch supper too! (I happen to have one of those coming up…) 

Mexican-Style Meatball Soup Ingredients

    •    2 tablespoons olive oil
    •    1 large onion, chopped
    •    1 bay leaf
    •    1 32 oz box beef broth
    •    1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
    •    1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
    •   
    •    1 and 1/4 pound lean ground beef
    •    6 tablespoons cornmeal (I used blue)
    •    1/4 cup milk
    •    1 large egg
    •    1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    •    1 onion, finely chopped
    •    1/4 cup cilantro

 •    1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

To make the meatballs:Place the beef, cornmeal, chopped onion, cilantro, cumin, milk and egg in a bowl. Mix well. Shape the meatballs into golfball-sized globs and bake them at 350 for 15-20 minutes until fat is rendered and meatballs have begun to brown. (I turn them over halfway through.) Drain them on paper towels.

 


Meanwhile, in a large pan, sauté the second set of onions in the olive oil with the bay leaf until onions are soft. Add the beef broth, tomatoes, and cilantro, and simmer for fifteen minutes. Add the cooked meatballs and rice to the pot and simmer another 30 minutes.

Like many soup recipes, this will taste even better if you refrigerate overnight and heat it up the next day. Serve with salad and cornbread. Here’s my favorite recipe—this time I used the blue cornmeal in the bread too, and it was delicious and beautiful.


The writers of Mystery Lovers Kitchen are thrilled to have three books coming out this week! We'd love to remind you that mysteries make great stocking stuffers! And you can preorder today....


DEATH WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS (Lucy Burdette)

THE GHOST AND MRS. MEWER (Krista Davis)

ONCE UPON A GRIND (Cleo Coyle)

Oh, yeah...dinner!

With all the prepping of "the bird" and its many
side dishes, it's easy to lose sight of the fact
that you still have to eat every other day of
the big turkey week as well.

So, here is a quick dish that my mom, another
excellent cook, taught me to make that is quick
and delicious and frees you up to work on
"the bird". Thanks, Mom!

Rigatoni with garbanzos and pepperoni

Ingredients:

One box rigatoni
2 cans garbanzos, drained and rinsed

(Mom uses cannellini, but I'm a garbanzo girl)

2 cans diced tomatoes, drained
1 package of pepperoni, diced
(I use turkey pepperoni)

Olive oil
1 tablespoon diced garlic
Fresh grated romano/parmesan cheese



Directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet, simmer the garlic and
pepperoni until heated through. Add the garbanzos and
tomatoes, turn the heat up to medium and cook thoroughly.
Add to a large pot of already cooked rigatoni. Mix well.
Serve in soup bowls with fresh grated romano/parmesan cheese
on top. A small side salad and a hot slice of garlic bread
really completes this meal.

Have a Happy (non-hectic) Thanksgiving!
Jenn



http://www.jennmckinlay.com/

Jenn McKinlay

SPRINKLE WITH MURDER

March 2010 (Available for pre-order now)


aka Lucy Lawrence

STUCK ON MURDER Sept 2009 (On sale now)

CUT TO THE CORPSE April 2010
(Available for pre-order now)