Category: Mains

Indian chicken curry (slow cooked)

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Slow cooked meals literally cook themselves … You can create a delish, healthy dinner with minimal effort + fuss. This recipe is no exception. Pop this on in the morning + by dinner time, you will be sitting down to a beautiful, rich + authentic curry.

You can pair this curry with pappadum, mango chutney, raita + all the other fab Indian accompaniments.

ingredients

1 kg free range chicken thighs *cut into quarters

1 small white/brown onion finely diced

2 cloves garlic finely diced

2 drops doTERRA ginger oil

1 cup tomato passata

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1/4 cup natural unsweetened coconut yoghurt

1 heaped tsp indian curry powder

1 tbsp garam masala

1 heaped tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cinnamon

chilli flakes *to taste

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

3 bay leaves

1/2 cup coconut cream, or natural coconut yoghurt

60g baby spinach leaves

steamed basmati *to serve

method

Add the onion, garlic, ginger oil, passata, stock, yoghurt + spices to the slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Season.

Add the chicken pieces + stir. Add the bay leaves.

Cook on the low setting for 6 hours.

Before serving, add the coconut cream + spinach leaves. Stir through.

Serve with piping hot steamed rice.

Chorizo + red wine risotto

naturalhealthconsciousliving2 Comments

A risotto is a labour of love. Standing + stirring, until the rice is beautifully tender + glossy.

The ultimate in comfort food.

Smoky, Spanish flavours in this dish pack a punch! And, the addition of nutritional yeast gives the cheese factor.

This is gluten + dairy free.

ingredients

1/2 brown diced onion 
2 finely diced garlic
2 x sliced free range chorizo *if you are DF, look for a brand without milk!  
1 cup Arborio rice 
1/4 tsp paprika 
100ml red wine
1 litre veggie stock 
400g organic tinned tomatoes 
1 heaped tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp dried oregano 
cracked black pepper
fresh chopped parsley 

Add tomatoes to the stock in a saucepan. Gently heat.

In a deep based pan, sauté the onion and garlic in a little olive oil over a medium heat. Once translucent, add the chorizo and continue to cook for 5 or so minutes.

Add rice and cook for a minute. Continue to stir.

Add paprika and red wine. Cook until the wine has absorbed.

Ladle by ladle, add the warm stock to the rice (allowing the liquid to absorb before adding each ladle). Continue until the rice is cooked through. There may be a little stock left.

Stir through nutritional yeast, dried oregano + black pepper.

Serve immediately with a scatter of freshly chopped parsley.

Chicken curry with broccoli

naturalhealthconsciousliving2 Comments

No, your eyes have not deceived you. I am eating meat again, for the first time in almost seven years. It has been only a couple of weeks since I made some big changes to my diet. Firstly, omitting dairy. I think for many years now I have been somewhat intolerant. But, like my similar experience with gluten, I have reached a threshold + my body can simply no longer handle it. I had a fairly extreme inflammatory response … my face, including my eyes, chin + forehead were blown up for two solid weeks before I removed the source. I worked through the elimination process eliminating various things (before I could come to terms with the fact that my delicio triple brie cheese would no longer be welcomed into my oesophagus). I also experienced painful dermatitis on my eyelids and my eyes would burn + weep every morning I opened them, from allergy conjunctivitis.

Well, I digress. For around six months I have been feeling an internal nudge to try meat again, but just couldn’t bring myself to do so. For ethical reasons, the thought of it repulsed me and well, I just wanted to be a good, conscious, planet loving human.

I always heed my internal wisdom.

I have actually never felt better. I think I have found the thing that works just for me.

Energy sky rocketing. Clearness in the mind. Clarity. My face is clear + has reduced in puffiness.

I continue to stay open to what is for my highest good.

This is a dish I used to cook a lot, many moons ago. I do hope you enjoy it.

ingredients

2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 heaped tsp turmeric
2 heaped tsp Indian curry powder
1/2 tsp Sea salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper
2 tbsp Olive oil
500g free range chicken thighs cut in 1/4’s
1 finely chopped brown onion
2 large finely chopped garlic cloves
1 tsp grated ginger
1 + 1/2 tsp chilli sambal *I used my homemade fermented
2 diced fresh tomatoes
4 small bay leaves
400g organic coconut cream
Small head broccoli *cut into bite sized pieces
Coriander leaves
Fresh chopped chilli

Steamed basmati rice *to serve

method

Dry toast the coriander + cumin seeds in a frypan over a medium heat until fragrant.

Using a pestle + mortar, grind the seeds into a powder and then place in a large bowl.

Add turmeric, curry powder, sea salt + pepper.

Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the spices + mix into a paste.

Add chicken pieces to the curry paste + massage in. Set aside.

Add the remaining olive oil to a deep based pan over a medium heat.

Add onions + cook until translucent. Add garlic, ginger + chilli sambal. Continue to sauté.

Add chicken to the pan + brown.

Add tomatoes + bay leaves. Sauté for a couple of minutes.

Pour in coconut cream + simmer for 15 mins. Add broccoli + simmer for a further 5-10, or until cooked.

Serve with fresh chilli, coriander leaves + steamed basmati.