japanese-style chicken curry

i'm really not a big fan of instant, pre-made mixes or frozen, microwaveable foods...but when it comes to japanese curry, i always use curry sauce mix because it's so much easier, takes less time (30 minutes versus 3 hours?!), and it's soooo delicious! i have, of course, made some tweaks to the directions you can find on the back of the box to make this curry recipe the best you've ever had. 

ingredients:

- 2 brown onion

- 2 russet potatoes

- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

- 2 zucchini, cut into chunks

- 1.5 pounds chicken thigh, cut into chunks

- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth

- 1 package japanese curry mix (i highly recommend s&b tasty curry sauce mix in med hot) 

directions:

- first, cut the 2 onion into halves.  dice one of the halves into small pieces; cut the other 2 1/2 onion into chunks

- peel the russet potatoes and cut into large chunks so they won't disintegrate during the cooking process

- in a large pot, heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat and add the diced onion

- add chicken pieces into pot and cook until lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes

- add the rest of the onion chunks, potatoes, carrots and zucchini into the pot and cook for 5-8 minutes, still over high heat until lightly browned

- add chicken broth to pot and bring to a boil

- lower heat as soon as it comes to a boil; cover pot and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes until the veggies are cooked

- turn off heat, then add in curry squares and melt into broth

- simmer for an additional 8 minutes and gently stir occasionally

- serve with some hot white rice.  enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

rosemary chicken with potatoes and zucchini

lately rob has been creating a lot of one pot meals with our le creuset dutch oven.  here's one of his delicious (and super easy) recipes...with just a few fresh ingredients, you can make an amazing meal for up to 4 people in less than an hour!

ingredients:

- 1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch slices

- 1 lb chicken breasts and/or thighs, boneless & skinless

- 8-10 small red potatoes, quartered

- 4 yellow or green zucchini, cut into 1-inch slices

- 10-12 cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed

- 4-6 fresh rosemary sprigs (but if you can't find fresh rosemary, use 1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary)

- olive oil

- s&p

directions:

- preheat oven to 450 degrees

- coat a cast-iron dutch oven with olive oil and spread with paper towel

- scatter onion slices in the pot

- place chicken on the onion, followed by the zucchini, potatoes and mushrooms

- season with s&p

- tuck rosemary sprigs into crevices

- cover and bake for 45 minutes; serve immediately and enjoy!

xoxo, 

kara

potato gratin

growing up, my dad used to make us the most amazing potato gratin...it was and still is my favorite dish ever.  because his recipe is more complicated with anchovies and other secret ingredients (he's a really good cook!), i decided to make my own, simpler recipe.  this potato gratin recipe is delicious, creamy and cheesy, and the pinch of nutmeg adds a lot of depth and warmth.  i hope you enjoy!

ingredients:

- 4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into very thin slices

- 1 onion, diced 

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- s&p

- 3 tablespoons butter

- 3 tablespoons flour

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 cup cream

- 1 cup milk

- 2 cups gruyere cheese

directions:

- preheat oven to 400 degrees

- butter 1 quart casserole dish generously; set aside

- melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat

- add flour and s&p and whisk for 1 minute

- add milk and cream and whisk until thickened and smooth

- add cheese, stirring until melted, about 60 seconds; set aside

- assemble half of the potatoes on the bottom of the buttered casserole dish, sprinkle half the onion and garlic, then add half the sauce

- layer the rest of the potatoes, add the rest of the onion and garlic, followed by the rest of the sauce

- cover the casserole with foil then bake for 1.5 hours

- remove foil then bake for another 15 minutes to brown...then enjoy!

xoxo,

kara