Family Dinner: Thai Chicken Curry Stew

I don't know if it is obvious yet, but stews comprise 20% of my winter-time cooking. I make at least one a week, and with good reason. They are fairly simple and healthy one-pot meals chock full of veggies and protein. Not to mention they are hearty, filling, and make a ton...so there are always leftovers for B (and myself and the kids, sometimes....he eats a lot!) to have for lunch. What's not to love?

This one is especially good with some Siracha sauce for a spicy kick. I served this over some brown rice.

Thai Chicken Curry Stew
Makes 8 servings
220 cals / 5g fat / 31g carbs / 16g protein

1 tsp olive oil
1 lb chicken breast
1 onion
3 large russet potatoes
6 carrots
1 red bell pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 small jar red curry paste (4 oz)
1 cup chicken broth
1 can light coconut milk (13.5 oz)
1/4 cup cilantro

1. Trim fat from chicken, cut into ~1 inch pieces, set aside. Peel and chop potatoes and carrots into small cubes (~1/2 inch). Dice onion and bell pepper and chop garlic. Set veggies aside.

2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, and carrots. Cook until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften, about 5-10 minutes more. Add chicken and cook until just done, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry paste and cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add coconut milk and chicken broth and simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 15-20 minutes more. Serve over rice, garnish with cilantro.

Family Dinner: Winter Pork Stew

This is one of my favorite stews, but I only make it once or twice a year....I forget about it, move on with my life, and then BAM, I am sitting there brainstorming menu ideas for the week and it pops into my brain.  Like a flash of genius.  It is warm, rich, savory, and sweet at the same time, and the leftovers are great for lunches throughout the week.

You can use any kind of beer you want...I had Leinie's Oktoberfest on hand, so it is what I used.  And my goodness, I just happened to taste a small sip before adding it to the pot, and I immediately put another bottle in the fridge for me to drink.  I know, a weeknight beer??  Things are getting cuh-razy up in here!!

I like this stew served over egg noodles, but it would be good with mashed potatoes, rice, or by itself with a chunk of bread on the side.

Winter Pork Stew
Makes 6 servings
320 cals / 7g fat / 27g carbs / 34g protein

2 lbs pork loin
2 TB flour
2 tsp olive oil
2 onions
6-8 carrots
4 cloves garlic
2 apples, firmer variety
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 TB brown sugar
1 bottle beer 12 oz
2 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
Salt and Pepper

1.  First chop all your veggies, to get everything ready.  Dice your onions, mince the garlic, and peel and cut your carrots into bite size chunks.  Set it all aside.

2.  Trim all visible fat and junk from the pork and cut into 1 - 1 1/2 inch chunks.  Season well with salt and pepper, and toss with flour to coat.

3.  Heat 1 tsp oil in large sauce pan or dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add the pork and sautée until browned (don't worry if things start getting brown and sticking to the bottom of the pan, it is supposed to, that brown stuff is full of delicious flavor....just keep cooking the pork until it is browned).  Remove pork from pan and set aside.

4.  Return pot to heat and heat remaining 1 tsp oil.  Add the onions, carrots, and apples, stirring occasionally, and cook until beginning to soften, about 10 minutes.  Add garlic and continue to cook an additional 1-2 minutes.

5.  By now the bottom of your pot should be browned and crusty (but not black and burnt!).  Add that beer you have been trying not to drink, and stir and scrape the bottom to stir up all those brown bits (flavor crystals as I like to call them).  Add the remaining ingredients and return the pork to the pot.

6.  Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low, and continue to cook partially covered until pork is tender, about 2 hours.  Season with salt and pepper (I like mine with a heavy dose of salt) and serve.  I recommend egg noodles and some fresh parsley, but you do what you want.

Want to turn this into a slow cooker meal?  Easy.  Follow steps 1-5, then dump in in your crock pot and cook on low, partially covered for ~6 hours.  Or just make this at night, and reheat it the next day, or whenever you want to eat it.

Family Dinner: Cincinnati Chili

And now I present to you Cincinnati Chili....the other chili.  The best chili (really).  I love this stuff.  The ingredients are weird, but it is good.

I made this on the stove, but you can just dump everything in a crock pot and let it cook for 6-8 hours and adjust your spices before eating.  If it is too soupy, turn it on high and cook uncovered to reduce some of the water content.

My favorite way to eat this is on top of spaghetti noodles, with shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, diced onion, and lots and lots of Franks red hot sauce.


Cincinnati Chili
Makes 8 Servings
230 cals / 8g fat / 15g carbs / 23g protein

2 lbs 96% lean ground beef
3 cups water
2 small onions, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 6oz can tomato paste
2 TB apple cider vinegar
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
4 TB chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 square (2 rectangles) unsweetened bakers chocolate
2 bay leaves (remove these before serving)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper


Mix the beef and water in a large pot until the beef is broken up into tiny tiny pieces, like a meat slurry.  Place the pot onto stove over medium heat.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Partially cover and reduce heat, allowing to simmer about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Adjust your seasonings and serve over spaghetti noodles.

Family Dinner: Turkey Chili and Healthier Cornbread

We are big chili fans in this house, and there are several different types in rotation. This is a more traditional version, made healthier by using lean ground turkey and upping the fiber content with two types of beans.

There are so many advantages to chili...the kids will eat it, it is full of lean proteins and fiber, and even a few vegetables, it makes a ton so there is plenty of leftovers to eat for lunch throughout the week, it is relatively easy to make and can be converted to a crock pot recipe no problem.

It turns out that making cornbread from scratch is every bit as easy and better tasting than a boxed mix, so cut out some processed foods and make your own. For this recipe I used half all purpose flour and half whole. Wheat flour. If you don't have whole wheat flour, you can use all regular flour.

Turkey Chili
Makes 10 Servings
215 cals / 4g fat / 24g carbs / 17g protein

1 lb lean ground turkey
2 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 cups water
1 12 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can navy beans, drained and rinsed
2 TB chili powder
1 TB smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium heat, brown the turkey, breaking it up into small pieces. Add the onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the green pepper and continue cooking until pepper is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients, and let simmer, partially covered, over low heat for ~2 hours. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Wanna make this in your crock pot? Follow the steps above through cooking the pepper and jalapeño, then mix everything together in your slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.


Low-Fat Cornbread
Makes 8 servings
176 cals / 4g fat / 29g carbs / 5g protein

1 cup fat-free milk
1 TB apple cider vinegar
1 cup corn meal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 TB sugar
2 TB butter, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 whole egg plus 1 egg white

Pre-heat oven to 400. Spray a 9" pan or baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Combine the milk and vinegar and set aside. Meanwhile, in a smaller bowl, mix together the flours, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and sugar. In a larger bowl, beat the eggs with a spoon, then add the applesauce and butter, stirring until mixed evenly. Add the milk, then stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just barely combined. Pour into your prepared dish and bake until golden, about 15-18 minutes.

Family Dinner: Beef Barley Soup and Artisan Rosemary Black Pepper Bread

This meal is hearty.  I love making soups in the fall, they are easy, nutritious, healthy, comforting, and filling. (let's see how many adjectives I can fit in there, shall we?)  Beef Barley is a favorite among the tots.  This makes a big pot, so there is plenty of leftovers for lunches throughout the week, or enough to freeze and save for another meal down the road.  It is gets a little thick, so I guess it might be more of a stew than a soup, but you can thin it out to whatever consistency you want using more broth.  The other great thing about this soup is that it is easy to adjust to your tastes.  Want different/more/less vegetables?  Go ahead, switch it up.  It is really almost fool-proof.  I did not take a picture of the soup, I figured soup is something we all kind of know, and frankly, I don't have the photography skills to make it look as good as it tastes.

The bread.  While I wouldn't consider this "healthy," (it is bread after all), it isn't terrible in moderation.  And it tastes amazing, so I think it is worth it.  You can adjust this to your own tastes, adding whatever herbs, cheeses, or flavors you want.  I think the rosemary is a nice complement to the beef soup, though.  Making my own bread is something that I just started attempting this year. It seemed so daunting to me in the past, but it turns out it is actually fairly easy.  The amount of actual effort is minimal, you just have to allow plenty of time to let is rise.  For this recipe, I used my enamel Dutch oven, if you don't have one, I think any oven proof pan with a lid should work.

Beef Barley Soup
Serves 12, about 1 1/2 cup per serving
215 cals/5g fat/27g carbs/23g protein

2 lbs lean beef, such as top round, all the fat trimmed off, cut into bite size pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 lb celery, trimmed and cut into chunks
1 medium onion, diced
1 lb green beans, cut into pieces
6 cups 99% fat-free beef broth
4 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 bay leaves
1 cup uncooked medium pearled barley

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray.  Add beef pieces, and cook until browned, 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic, celery, and carrots, cook an additional 3 minutes.  Add onions and cook until starting to soften, 3-5 minutes.  Add broth, water, salt, pepper, and bay leaves, stirring up any brown bits on the bottom.  Bring to simmer, add green beans and barley, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer ~1-2 hours.

Rosemary Cracked Black Pepper Artisan Bread
Serves 16
165 cals/6g fat/23g carbs/3g protein

1 cup warm water
3 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2 tsp kosher salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick melted butter
4 TB chopped fresh rosemary
1 TB fresh cracked black pepper

Add the water and the sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (you can do this by hand, but it will take you forevvvvvveeeerrrr). Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the water and let it get foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the flour, chopped herbs, salt, pepper, and melted butter. Mix until dough is smooth, stretchy, and pulled into a ball, about 5-6 minutes. Coat a large bowl with nonstick spray, cover with plastic wrap and let rise, 4-6 hours. Lightly knead dough, reshaping into a round loaf shape if necessary, cover, and allow to rise again, 30-60 min. Meanwhile, heat oven to 425. Place empty dutch oven with lid on bottom rack and allow to heat at least 30 min. Take finished dough, plop it into hot Dutch oven, immediately cover with lid and return to oven. Bake for 25 min, removing lid for last 5 min for a browner crust, if preferred.

(Fact: typing Dutch oven this many times has made me giggle like a 13 year-old boy. Maturity at its highest here, folks.)