Day Twenty-Five: Ground Turkey Sweet Potatoe Curry

Sorry I've been M.I.A. lately, I really underestimated how much time I'd have when life picked back up!
So, an update about the fallout from my boxing adventures: HOLY COW was I sore! The legs, the triceps, but mostly all the tiny muscles in my back that I had no idea I possessed have been SCREAMING at me since wednesday night! Its Sunday and I still feel a little achy!
Getting out of bed Thursday was not fun , namely because moving was paaaaaaaaainful. Gotta love excersize! Its kind of good though, because that one hour of class had some reprecussions, which means that with a little effort, I can get some kind of results. Its a twisted form of motivation though!
So, I have been cooking lately, and I found a few more recipes that I tried out with success.

First up was a Ground Turkey Sweet Potatoe Curry that I found on the Livestrong website. This was great because I got to use my tumeric again, which means I've now found two delicious dishes that it is an integral part of!
The main ingredients consist of Lean Ground Turkey, onion, sweet potatoe and canned tomatoes. Spice-wise I added tumeric, chili flakes, garlic, black pepper, curry powder, cumin, and some ginger.

Browning the turkey in a pan large enough for the whole concoction, I added in my onion and garlic, letting them get soft and cooked up. Then the rest of the flavors went into the dish, along with about a half cup of water, before I added in my diced yam. Then, cover the whole dish with a lid and allow the sweet potatoe to soften. If you don't have a big enough lid, just use some tinfoil, it worked just as well for me!

Garnish with chives and serve it up in a big bowl. You're going to want to make lots, because this dish is really great and reheats perfectly!

Great Indian dish all ready to eat!

Day Fifteen: Butter Chicken

So today I finally had the chance to cook again after doing a very large (and prettttty expensive) grocery run yesterday! The past two days have been really hectic with work and class and socializing with returned friends!

Yesterday was a little bit of a cheat day, as I went out for dinner and indulged in the chevre and beet salad (so amazing, if you're ever in Montreal you must go to Jane). Today however I invited my friend Priscilla for lunch and introduced her to my Paleo style cooking!

In the spirit of globalization, I decided to try an Indian dish that I have been craving: Butter Chicken. I was keen to use some of the tumeric I picked up in anticipation, as I can't remember ever cooking with the spice before! After picking out virtually every spice in my arsenal I started my cubed chicken breasts in a frying pan. Then when they were about done I transfered them to a plate and heat my spices up in some olive oil. I used ginger, tumeric, chili flakes, cinnamon, garlic powder, cumin, curry powder and paprika. Adding to this, I used (again for the first time in cooking!) a small tin of coconut milk and some garlic before letting it all simmer a tad. After a while I added some canned diced tomatoes (no salt added!), some lemon juice and a 1/4 cup of almond butter. Then I transfered my chicken back into the mixture and let it all reduce for about 15 minutes.

I know, it doesn't LOOK appetizing, but it really was great!

While this was going on, I cut some cauliflower up and added it to a pot for steaming. I thought this would be a great substitute for the rice that so often pops up in Indian cuisine, and I was right! Really great texture and the subtle flavour was a good addition to the dish.

"Butter" Chicken served with "rice"!

Then it was time to serve! And voila! at home, incredibly healthy, very paleo ethnic food! Now I don't have to feel like I'm missing out at all on Montreal's varied dining scene!