African Curried Coconut Soup with Chickpeas

We had this last night and it was wonderful -- a great meal on a cold, fall evening.


2 Tbs. oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
4 large garlic cloves, crushed
32 oz low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
2 cans chickpeas (15 oz), rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped tomatoes (if canned, drain)
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 can light coconut milk (14 oz)
1 cup brown rice
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

1. In large stock pot, heal oil. Add the onion, red pepper and jalapeño; cook, stirring periodically until softened, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. 
3. Add the broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, curry powder, salt, black pepper and rice, bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 30 minutes until rice is done.
5. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Raspberry Chipotle Chicken Chili

A friend told me about a recipe for chicken chili that included a maple chipotle sauce. I don't have any maple chipotle sauce, but I do have a bottle of raspberry chipotle sauce, so I thought I would give it a try with this substitution. We had it the other night and it was fabulous -- the spicy sweetness of the raspberry chipotle is wonderful. Not a huge hit with the kids, but at least they ate it.

2 1/2 lbs of chicken (I used a mix of boneless, skinless breasts and thighs)
olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
32 oz chicken broth
1/3 cup chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 cups Raspberry Chipotle sauce (Kirkland brand)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute the chicken in olive oil until done. Shred into bite-sized pieces
2. Saute the onion in olive oil until starting to caramelize. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 30 seconds.
3. Add the chicken, chicken broth, chili powder, cayenne and Raspberry Chipotle sauce. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. Salt and/or pepper to taste.
4. Serve over rice.

Mexican Turkey Stew

I made this up last night for my kids and one of their friends, and they all loved it... they even asked for seconds! It's a fairly thick stew, definitely something you could eat with a fork, so if your kids like something closer to soup, this may not be for them.

1 - 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey (or use roasted turkey cut into small pieces, about 2 cups)

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles

1 cup corn

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. coriander

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1. In large sauce pan, brown the turkey and break it into little chunks as it cooks. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add oil and saute onions until soft. Add garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.
3. Put turkey back in pot and add tomatoes, black beans, corn, green chilis and spices.
4. Heat to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve with corn bread on the side and grated cheese on top. (Some of us also added some Hot Giardiniera and it tasted wonderful).

Chicken Barley Chili

We had this last night and all loved it. It's great on a cold and blustery night.

3 can low sodium chicken broth

1 cup salsa

1 cup barley

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 can black beans

1 cup frozen corn

2-3 cups cooked chicken, cut into small pieces

1. Combine broth, salsa, barley, chili powder, cumin and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes.
2. Add chicken and heat through.
3. This is great as is, but it's also wonderful served with grated cheddar, avocado and tortillas.

Stuffed Shells

When I've made stuffed shells in the past, Meriel usually complains if there's "TOO MUCH" cheese. In this version, I've reduced the amount of cheese and added some ground turkey. If you don't have time to stuff the shells, skip 'em and mix the filling with any shape of cooked pasta -- it'll taste just the same.

1 lb ground turkey

12 oz package of pasta shells

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. marjoram

1/2 tsp. crushed red peppers

salt & pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic, crushed

8 oz. cottage cheese

2 eggs

16 oz. grated mozzarella

26 oz jar pasta sauce (you probably won't use the whole thing)

1. Brown the ground turkey over medium heat, breaking up into little pieces. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Cook shells (or other pasta shape) according to directions. Add a bit of oil to the water so they don't stick together. Drain.
3. In a large bowl combine cottage cheese, eggs, herbs, salt & pepper, garlic, 1/2 of the mozzarella and the ground turkey.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" x 13" lasagna pan.
5. Stuff each shell with the cottage cheese/turkey mixture and place in pan. (Or, mix the cooked pasta into the cottage cheese/turkey and spread around pan.) Spread sauce over top (don't feel like you need to use the whole jar) and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until cheese starts to brown, about 10 more minutes.

Mexican Chili with Pasta

I cut this recipe out of the Tribune recently and we all really liked it. Meriel's initial reaction when she saw it was "GROSS!" But she went back for seconds, so I hope she's learning not to make assumptions based on how something looks. I modified the original recipe a bit by adding more pasta and making it less spicy.

1/2 lb. ground beef or turkey

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 can (15 1/2 oz) chili beans (don't drain)

1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilis

1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 1/2 cups pasta (rotini, shells, macaroni, etc.)

1 1/2 cups graded cheddar cheese

1. Cook the ground beef or turkey in a medium sauce pan, stirring to crumble, until no longer pink and starting to brown. Drain. Add garlic and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes.
2. Stir in chili beans, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a gentle simmer.
3. Add pasta to mixture and stir so that the pasta gets covered with liquid. Cover. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until pasta is done, usually 8-10 minutes.
4. Serve in bowls with grated cheese on top.

Vegetarian Chili

I received this recipe through one of those email recipe exchanges. I don't know the woman who sent it to me, but it's really good. We've now made it twice and it's on the menu again this week! The only things I changed from the original version were adding more spices and I got rid of the green pepper 'cause my kids don't like it. Feel free to add it back -- I'll bet it's good. This makes enough for two adults and two kids with enough left-over for one person's lunch the next day.

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 medium onion, diced

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 30 oz. can chili beans, drained

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (I use these because my kids don't like big chunks of tomato)

Optional toppings: grated cheddar cheese, Fritos, avacado

1. Heat oil in a large sauce pan and saute the onion until soft and translucent. Add garlic and spices and continue cooking over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add chili beans and tomatoes and heat thoroughly. (This is great reheated, so if you can, make it in the morning and then reheat it for dinner.)
3. My kids love this with some grated cheddar and a big handful of Fritos on top. You can also serve it over pasta.

Enchilada Casserole

We had a bunch of family in over the weekend for my mother-in-law's 80th birthday. Great fun! I made dinner one night for everyone and there were a few restrictions... one relative can't eat wheat and another is a vegetarian. So, I was thrilled to find something EVERYONE could enjoy. I ended up making two -- one with chicken and the other without. I'll tell you how to do both:

This makes enough for one 9"x13" pan.

1 cup chopped onion

1 red pepper, chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

1 cup salsa

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen corn, thawed and drained

14 six-inch corn tortillas, each one torn into around 8 pieces

8 oz. Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup sour cream

1 can enchilada sauce

Optional garnish: chopped fresh cilantro, sour cream, chopped black olives

If you're adding meat: 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Saute onion in a little oil until soft and starting to brown. Add red pepper and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and saute an additional minute. Set aside.
3. Combine beans, salsa, corn and sour cream. Add onion mixture and stir until blended.
4. Spray 9x13 pan with oil. Layer half of the torn tortillas on the bottom. Cover with the bean/sour cream/onion mixture. Sprinkle with half of the grated cheese. If you're adding chicken, put it on now. Top with remaining tortillas.
5. Carefully pour one can of enchilada sauce over entire casserole. Try to cover eachtortilla with a little bit of sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. (At this point you can cover it and put it in the fridge until you're ready to bake it. Make sure to add 15-20 extra minutes of cooking time if it's cold when you put it in the oven .)
6. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking an addition 15 minutes, until heated through and starting to bubble on top.
7. Serve hot and garnish with chopped cilantro, sour cream and black olives.

Chicken & Bean Main-Course Dip

My friend Maria passed on this recipe because her kids gave it rave reviews. Having made it the other night, we concur. It's awesome! It didn't come with a name, so we decided to call it "Chicken Dip" because you eat it on corn chips. If someone has a better name, let me know.

6-9 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces (If you choose to use breasts instead of thighs, increase the amount of salsa to 1 1/2 cups since breasts are dryer.)

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 cup salsa (use one that's a little spicy or it may come out kind of bland)

1 cup frozen corn

Corn chips

1. Put chicken in crockpot; it's okay if it's still frozen. Top with beans, salsa and corn.
2. Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or high for 4-5. Cooking time will vary depending on whether or not your chicken is frozen and how big the pieces are. Check on it at the minimum number of hours so that it doesn't get dried out.
3. Serve with corn chips used as dippers.

Mexican Cheese Fondue

Fondue pots must be the most ubiquitous wedding present ever, so go find yours. I'll bet you have one. If you've never used it with your kids, now is the time. They'll think it's the coolest dinner ever.

Anyway, it's hard not to like fondue -- especially the cheese kind. This version is very kid-friendly as it doesn't include wine or expensive French ingredients. The kids and Dave made this for dinner last weekend and there wasn't a drop left-over. This makes enough for four -- 2 adults and 2 kids.

3 Tbs. butter

3 Tbs. flour

1 garlic clove, minced

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup chicken broth, plus more to thin the sauce if needed

8 oz shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese

3 Tbs. salsa (mild or hot -- you choose)

Possible dippers: cubes of French bread, pre-cooked broccoli or cauliflower florets, chunks of grilled chicken, sauteed whole mushrooms, red and yellow pepper strips, carrot sticks, jicama slices (almost everything tastes good when it's dipped in cheese!)

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until just starting to brown, around 1 minute. Whisk in flour until blended.
2. Whisk in the milk and chicken broth.
3. Continue cooking until it thickens and starts to boil, 2-4 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
4. Gradually add the cheese, stirring until it's melted.
5. Stir in the salsa. If sauce seems too thick, add a little chicken broth.
6. Transfer the sauce to a fondue pot and set the flame to keep it warm.
7. Start dipping

Easy Quiche

We had this for dinner the other night. Everyone was getting home at different times, so it was nice to have something that could be eaten "whenever". This crust is not a traditional flakey one, but it tastes pretty good and is really easy to make.

Crust

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. milk

1. Combine flour, sugar and salt in bottom of pie plate.
2. Add milk to oil and whisk until blended.
3. Pour oil/milk mixture over flour and combine. Once blended, press into pie shell to form crust.

Filling

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup grated cheese (cheddar, swiss, monterey jack, etc,.)

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 cloves of garlic, minced

salt and pepper

1 tsp. butter

Optional additions -- make sure they're all well drained: cooked spinach (chopped), sauteed mushrooms, diced and cooked zucchini or yellow squash. diced ham or crisp bacon.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Saute onions until soft and starting to brown. Add garlic and continue cooking for 30-45 seconds. Set aside.
3. Whisk eggs, milk and salt and pepper.
4. Spread onion and garlic around bottom of crust. Add optional additions. Top with grated cheese.
5. Pour egg mixture into crust. Dot top with small pieces of butter (this helps keeps the top tender).
6. Bake for 35-45 minutes until set and starting to brown on top.

Vegetarian Tostadas

These are really easy to make and my kids like them because they get to choose what goes on top. Meriel tends to stick with black beans and cheese, but Gavin is a little more adventurous, adding onion and mushrooms. You can dice the vegetables ahead of time and keep them in the fridge until you're ready to use them.

Corn tostada shells

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 onion, diced

2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

Selection of diced vegetables: red pepper, yellow squash, zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, etc. All put in separate bowls.

Optional condiments: salsa, guacamole, hot pepper sauce

1. Microwave the diced vegetables briefly so that they're partially cooked. (Put in the fridge if you're not going to use them right away.)
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Give each person a tostada shell and have them layer their selected ingredients putting cheese on the top.
4. Place the tostadas on a cookie sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.
5. Serve with salsa, guacamole or hot pepper sauce.

Spanakopita

I first had this several years ago at my aunt's farm in Maryland; it was so good that I made it soon after I got home for my own family. It's one way that I can get my kids to eat spinach or Swiss Chard without too many complaints.

I usually prepare two batches when I make it because then I use all the phyllo dough. If I don't, the left-overs just sit in my fridge... anyone have other good uses for phyllo sheets?

8 cups chopped spinach or Swiss Chard (or 2 packages frozen, thawed)

1 onion, finely chopped

4 Tbs. butter

2 Tbs. flour

1 cup milk

5 eggs, beaten

1/2 pound feta, crumbled (or other mild white cheese, grated)

dash of nutmeg

8 oz of phyllo sheets (in the freezer section of the grocery store)

1/2 cup melted, unsalted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt butter in frying pan, saute the onion until soft and then add the spinach. Continue to saute for 3-4 minutes until spinach is wilted and heated through.
3. Stir in flour, gradually add milk.
4. Cook until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
5. Stir in eggs, cheese and nutmeg until smooth.
6. In 11X14 pan, brush and layer 8 sheets of phyllo with butter. Add filling and top with 8 more buttered sheets.
7. Bake for 30 minutes.

Spice Rub for Grilled Pork

I use this whenever we have pork chops -- it's best when you grill them, but even pan fried, this tastes great. It's also wonderful on grilled pork tenderloin. 

This recipe makes enough for about 6 chops or 2 tenderloins. 

1 Tbs. ground cumin

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 Tbs. curry powder

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. brown sugar

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Rub all over meat to be grilled.
3. Yummy!

Grilled Pizza

There is no better way to make pizza at home. Conventional ovens just don't get hot enough to make really good crust, so the grill is a great solution. This is not a quick meal, so save it for a weekend. However, my kids think this is the best pizza ever and would likely eat it every night if I was willing to make it.

This makes enough for one pizza. I usually double it so we can have left-overs and if I'm feeding two families, I'll make three pizzas. Also, many recipes have you do everything on the grill. We're using an old Weber gas grill and it just doesn't get hot enough inside to make the cheese get really melty. So, I always throw the pizza under the broiler for 2 minutes to finish it.

The first two toppings (garlic oil and tomatoes) should be made while the crust is rising or before you even start.

CRUST:

2 Tbs. olive oil

2/3 cup water

1 Tbs. whole wheat flour (if you don't have whole wheat, substitute an additional tablespoon of bread flour)

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. instant yeast

2 cups bread flour (it's worth getting "Bread Flour".  All Purpose doesn't work nearly as well.)

1. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a mixer. Put on a dough hook and combine and then knead for 6-7 minutes on lowest speed.
2. Pull out the dough hook and remove the bowl from the mixer. Leave dough in the bowl and cover with plastic. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2-2 hours. (You can adjust the amount of time the dough rises by changing the amount of yeast -- if it's a warm day and I make the crust 6 hours ahead of time, I'll only use 1/4 tsp. yeast, or if I only have an hour, I'll add 2-3 tsp. and put the dough somewhere really warm.)
3. Preheat gas grill on high.
4. Punch down dough and remove from bowl. If it feels like a lot to handle, divide into two or three crusts. Take one piece of dough, gently form a disk and then stretch it, using your hands, until it's a nice round shape and fairly thin across. Don't worry if some sections are thicker than others or if it's not perfectly round... many of my pizzas are quite oddly shaped.
5. Place dough directly on grill and reduce heat to medium-low. I know this sounds crazy, but I promise that the dough will not fall through the cracks. 
6. Until you've done this a few times, you'll need to keep a close eye on the crust so that it doesn't burn. I usually let mine grill for 3-4 minutes, until there are dark brown grill marks on the bottom of the crust. Adjust heat and time according to how quickly your crust cooks.
7. Remove crust from grill and place on a counter or board dusted with corn meal. (If I'm doing this for company, I'll usually make the crusts up to this point and then do the final assembly and grilling just before we're ready to eat. The half-grilled crusts are fine on the counter for an hour or two.)

TOPPINGS

Garlic oil (this should be made ahead of time):

1/3 cup olive oil

4 medium garlic cloves crushed 

1. Cook over medium heat until garlic starts to brown
   
2. Set aside to cool

3/4 lb tomatoes (about two medium-large tomatoes) cored, seeded and cut into a 1/2 inch dice

1/4 tsp. salt

1.  Combine tomatoes and salt in a bowl and then place in a sieve 
   
2. Let drain for an hour or two

1/2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)

1/2 lb. grated mozzarella

Optional toppings: pepperoni, spinach, feta cheese, sauteed mushroom, carmalized onions, greek olives, sausage, ham, pineapple, etc.

Assembling the Pizza:

1. Preheat broiler and place rack in the middle-top position.
2. Flip the crust over so that the grill side is up.
3. Brush grilled crust with garlic oil.
4. Sprinkle tomatoes over crust. Then top with cheese and any other toppings that sound good.
5. Slide back onto the grill with the un-grilled side facing down. Grill for 3-4 minutes, until dark brown grill marks appear.
6. Remove from grill and place on rack under the broiler for 2 minutes. (If the toppings look piping hot when you remove your pizza from the grill, you may not need to use a broiler.)

Serve immediately! If you have left-overs, they're better warmed up in the oven than a microwave... microwaves will make the crust really limp.

Baked Apple Pancake

This is great for breakfast, but it also makes a yummy dinner on those nights when breakfast-for-dinner seems like the best plan.

This serves 4 of us with normal sized portions. If you have big eaters in the house, I would do 1.5X or even double it.

2-3 Tbs. butter 

2 apples, pealed and thinly sliced (I usually use Granny Smith, but any kind will do)

6 eggs

 1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup whole wheat flour

3 Tbs. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

2-3 Tbs. brown sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Melt butter in baking dish in the oven.
3. Add sliced apples and put back in oven until they sizzle.
4. Combine eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, salt and cinnamon. Will be lumpy!
   
5. Pour egg mixture over apples. If you choose, sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and brown.
6. Serve immediately with syrup.

Tacotini

This is kind of like tacos, but you use rotini instead of taco shells. 

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced or grated

1 package taco seasoning 

OR, 

As an alternative you can create your own homemade taco seasoning with the following: 2 Tbs. chili powder, 1 tsp. ground cumin, 1 tsp. ground coriander, 1/2 tsp. oregano, 1/8 tsp. cayenne, 

1 tsp. brown sugar, 2 tsp. vinegar (preferably cider) -- add the vinegar when you mix the seasonings with the meat.

2 cups uncooked rotini (I use 100% whole wheat rotini)

1 cup salsa OR 1 eight-oz. can tomato sauce (if your kids like things mild)

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Optional toppings: chopped cilantro, chopped lettuce, chopped tomatoes

1. Cook the rotini according to package directions. Drain and place back in pot.
   
2. Brown the beef, drain. Add onions and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes more.
3. Add seasoning packet or homemade seasonings to beef mixture.
4. Combine beef mixture with pasta. Pour in salsa or tomato sauce and combine. Heat gently until hot.
5. Serve with grated cheddar and other optional toppings.

Pizza with Rice Crust

We make pizza every Friday night and I've found this to be a nice change of pace from our usual wheat crust. If you have rice earlier in the week, make extra (you'll need about 3 cups) so you can use it for the crust.

Crust:

1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice (you can use white, but it won't be as healthy)

2 eggs

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Pizza toppings (Except for the sauce and cheese, all of these are optional. And, I suppose you could even make the sauce optional as well):

3/4 cups pizza sauce (I just use spaghetti sauce)

1 cup thinly slivered red or yellow bell pepper

1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms

1 cup thinly sliced onion

1 can (2 1/4 oz.) sliced black olives, drained

4 oz. sliced pepperoni

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Cook rice according to directions . Scrape into a large bowl. Cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a fork.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. In another bowl, beat eggs. Then add the eggs and cheddar cheese to the rice and mix well. Scrape rice mixture into a well-oiled, 9X13-inch pan and pat into an even layer.
4. Bake in oven until rice begins to brown around the edges, 15-20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, if you're doing vegetables on top, saute them in a little olive oil over medium-high heat until the mushrooms begin to brown and the moisture has evaporated. 5-10 minutes. (If you don't cook them until the liquid is gone, they'll make the pizza soggy.) Stir in olives and remove from heat.
6. Spread pizza sauce evenly over the baked rice and sprinkle with mozzarella. Place pepperoni or spoon vegetables over crust and top with parmesan.
7. Return to oven and bake until parmesan begins to brown.

My kids prefer just pepperoni, so I usually do half with vegetables and half with meat.

Easy Chicken Curry

Both my kids really like this and it's surprising how easy it is to make! I found the recipe in an old Junior League of Denver cookbook, "Colorado Cache", but I modified it to fit what's usually in my fridge.

6 Tbs. butter

1 minced onion

4-5 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 Tbs. curry powder

1 tsp. dry mustard

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. paprika

dash of cayenne pepper

1 can beef or chicken broth

1 cup milk

3 Tbs. ketchup

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. chicken, cooked and cut into bite-size chunks (I always use boneless, skinless breasts and cook them ahead of time so that it's ready to go when I need it.)

1. Melt butter in large skillet.
2. Add onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until onion is limp. 
3. Combine all the dry ingredients and add to the onion mixture, stirring over low heat until blended.
4. Slowly add broth and milk; stir until smooth.
5. Add ketchup.
6. Cook for a few minutes and then add chicken and heat to boiling point. It will thicken as it cooks.
7. Serve over rice with any or all of the following condiments: shredded coconut, peanuts, chutney, chopped green pepper, chopped olives, raisins, crushed pineapple. (I love it with coconut, peanuts and pineapple, but it's good with nothing added.)

Egg in a Hole

These always feel kind of old-fashioned to me and definitely remind me of my grandmother. However, they're yummy and a really easy dinner.

Sliced Bread (I use 100% whole wheat)

Eggs

Butter

Grated cheese (optional)

1. Take a slice of bread and cut out a 2" hole or oval in the center.
2. Melt some butter in a frying pan over medium heat.
3. Place the bread in the pan (along with the piece that's the hole) and break an egg into the hole.
4. My kids prefer a scrambled egg, so I break the yolk and swirl the egg around, spreading it over the bread. If you like an easy-over egg, don't break the yolk.
5. Fry until lightly browned on the bottom and then flip over (along with the hole). At this point, I sprinkle a little grated cheddar on top and cover with a lid until melted.
6. Serve immediately... "Mmmm, just like Grammy used to make."