Curried Chicken w/ Roasted Vegetables

I have clarification from my brother, who posted on my Facebook yesterday, that I did, indeed believe in Santa.  For a short period of time at least.  I'm glad I can count on my family to put me in check in those times of forgetfulness.

And by the way, the picture with the chocolates... nobody seemed to get the right treat (but definitely made me hungry with all of your guesses!)... but they were homemade York Peppermint Patties!  Definitely going in the goodie bags!

So for today's recipe I thought I would do something comforting and oh-so-tasty.  One of my favorite types of food is definitely Indian cuisine.  I'm a big fan of curry.  Pair it with a tasty and quick naan, and I'm all good to go.  So when I saw this recipe in November's Food & Wine magazine, I knew I definitely had to try it!

It definitely reminds me of a delicious tandoori chicken, but with a deeper curry flavor.  Without all the mess of the curry gravy (not that I mind that mess at all!). 


Ingredients:
Adapted from Food & Wine's recipe

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
1 lb. brussels sprouts, halved 
2 onions, cut into wedges
1 cup olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
6-8 chicken thighs, boneless & skinless
Garlic naan, for serving

Preheat oven to 450 F.

In a large bowl, mix together butternut squash, brussels sprouts, onion wedges, 1/2 cup of olive oil, salt, and black pepper.  Toss until well combined.  Spread onto large baking sheet in 1 even layer.

In same bowl you used for vegetables, mix together yogurt, ginger, garlic, curry powder, cayenne pepper, and remaining 1/2 cup olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add chicken thighs and coat well with mixture. 

Place chicken pieces on top of vegetables and roast in oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until chicken is starting to develop a brown crust.

Carefully pour off any accumulated liquid in the baking sheet, then return to oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.

Arrange chicken and vegetables on a platter and serve with warm garlic naan and extra Greek yogurt.

I can not say how easy and delicious this meal was.  Definitely a perfect fall comfort meal and although it's not "traditional" Indian fare... the flavors are there, and it would be a great beginner dish for someone who is wary about trying new types of food!  Give it a shot because I know you'll love it as much as we did!  Enjoy!

Happy Wednesday guys, and if I don't get a chance to tell you sooner, Happy Holidays!

Creamy Cabbage Pasta

Ok, I know what you're thinking.  Another damn cabbage recipe.  Well... when coleslaw isn't cutting it, and you've got tons of red cabbage... you have to start getting creative... or just throwing it into random things.  Such as pasta.  So bare with me in my pasta escapades, but also trust me... because this was pretty darn delicious.

And on a side note, I'm extremely happy that it's Friday.  No tests to study for this weekend, so it will definitely be a more relaxed one, and I can enjoy my Sunday football, distraction-free.  Woohoo.

Nothing too crazy going on this weekend, just a bunch of relaxation, and well, I do have to work tomorrow, but it's okay.  Andy and I will be checking out a new Colombian place in town, La Colombiana, tonight for dinner.  Remember World Fest from a couple weeks ago?  Well, they were stand with the longest line at the whole festival, and we liked what we ended up with so hopefully their restaurant delivers as much satisfaction as their crispy, crunchy arepa did!


Ingredients:
adapted from Rocco Dispirito's "Now Eat This!" Creamy Parmigiano-Reggiano Sauce

1 onion, roughly chopped
9 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
pinch of ground nutmeg
1/2 cup red cabbage, shredded
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 lb. spaghetti noodles or other pasta

In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, combine the onion, garlic, and water.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and cover tightly with plastic wrap or covering.  Microwave for about 10 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste, if needed.

Heat a large skillet under medium high heat and add the onion-garlic puree, cabbage, and tomatoes.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water, according to package directions for al dente.  Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the heavy cream with the cornstarch until completely dissolved.

Add the cornstarch mixture to the onion-garlic in the skillet.  Raise heat to high and bring to a boil, whisking constantly.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 1 minute, or until slightly thickened.

Add the Parmesan cheese and nutmeg to the sauce.  Whisk until cheese is melted.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add noodles to mixture and toss well.  Serve right away!

This was pretty great!  I loved the flavors that the cabbage and the tomatoes added to the dish and the onion-garlic puree was definitely a flavor-enhancer for the sauce itself.  We served this with fresh garlic bread and some lemon-thyme potatoes.

Enjoy the weekend guys and just an FYI... I'm a contestant in Foodbuzz's Project Food Blog and voting starts on Monday for the 1st Challenge (you can read my entry here) and I would really appreciate the support!