Monthly Archives: November 2013

kabocha squash red curry

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pumpkin_curry_main

‘Tis the season for pumpkin everything – pies, lattes, breads, and pies. Here’s a recipe with a savory twist on everyone’s favorite gourd, a kabocha squash and sweet potato red curry. I was introduced to this recipe via Blue Apron, a meal delivery service that sends you all the fresh ingredients you need to make a scrumptious meal for two, a few weeks ago and it was so nice I made it twice!

ingredients_redcurry

 

Slightly modified from Blue Apron

2 tbs olive oil
6 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 stalks lemongrass, finely dice the soft white core of the stalk
1 cubanelle pepper, finely diced
1 kabocha squash, cubed
2 sweet potatoes, cubed
1 red onion
3 tbs red curry paste
1 can coconut milk

Condiments:
1 Bunch Cilantro
1 Bunch Mint
Limes

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Will you look at that pumpkin/kabocha squash!

The beauty of how I made this recipe this time is that it’s pretty set it and forget it! I made it in a crock pot. Start by simmering your garlic, lemongrass, pepper, and onion in your crock pot on high heat until their soft and growingly translucent.

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Add your squash and sweet potatoes and cook until their soft.

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Then add your coconut milk and curry paste and let your curry simmer until fragrant and ready to serve. I let mine hang in the crock pot for a few hours before serving over scoops of brown rice and garnished with cilantro, mint, and limes!

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Add a little spice to your life this decorative gourd season!

xo,

Julia

horchata

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horchata

This HungryTexan is stubborn enough to try anything once, and this weekend I decided to try my hand at horchata – a milky latin beverage I’ve oft enjoyed at El Salvadorian restaurants. There are lots and lots of varieties of horchata made from combinations of almonds, rice, sesame seeds, barley or tigernuts. I tried an almond and rice-based varietal, and the final product was sweet and nutty with a pleasant creaminess that wasn’t overly rich. We sipped our horchata plain, but it would be a real treat frothed up in a latte or blended into a milkshake!

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Recipe slightly modified from Nosh On.It’s version:

1 cup raw, unsalted almonds
1/3 cup long-grain white rice
1 cinnamon stick
5 cups of water (3 hot, 2 cold)
1/2 cup simple syrup (1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 tsp vanilla)

Beware! This is a two day project and requires a good night’s soak for the flavors to really sync. Start by blanching your almonds. Dump your almonds in boiling water for one minute and then strain & run under cold water. Blanching is key to being able to super simply pinch off the almond’s skin. Grab the almond at its fat part and pinch the skin away – they fly right off (literally, we had almonds fly across the kitchen!). Now you have a cup of naked almonds.

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Give them a nice toast in a completely dry skillet until they’re lightly browned.

Next, in your grinding instrument of choice (coffee grinder, spice grinder, food processor) pulverize your rice into a fine, fine powder.

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Then, in a large jar or jug combine 3 cups of hot water, your almonds, your rice powder and your cinnamon stick. Give it a good stir and let it cool to room temperature before refrigerating. After your mixture has had an ample soak, remove the cinnamon stick and blend everything together in a blender. Blend until your almond/rice mixture is very powdery. Add the extra two cups of cold water and continue blending.

Next comes the messy part. With a very fine mesh strainer and cheesecloth, strain your mixture. It’s slow going. Be patient! Strain it twice if you need to. Get out as much sediment as you can and then stir in your simple syrup. Pour into a glass and enjoy while listening to Vampire Weekend’s, Horchata.

Cheers,
Julia