Sweet Potato and Carrot Curry

I know I shouldn’t complain. Colorado has had a mild winter, especially in comparison to what my friends on the East Coast have been facing. But, I still miss my Austin winters, where we’d barely dip into freezing before we’d warm right back up into summer temperatures. Over the weekend, we got hit with over 12 inches of snow. School is cancelled and our roads are still a mess. Even worse, the weather isn’t supposed to improve over the next 7 to 10 days (a RARITY in Colorado). We usually get a dose of snow that’s followed up by a good week of sunshine.

Snow Day

And why I am really complaining? Well, I’m on call to photograph three births (one of which is in Denver). Driving in this weather, in the middle of the night, is just not ideal! Especially when you need to get somewhere quickly! So if you have a second, send a good and warm thought my way. I’m hoping that all these babies don’t come at the same time…and I’m hoping that we can all get to their birthing places safely!

Sweet Potato and Carrot Curry

This sweet potato and carrot curry is on the menu today. It is the perfect winter meal. Warm, comforting, and with enough spice to make dinner interesting. I love the subtleness of lemongrass, and you’ll find that it adds a layer of complexity that other curries lack. We made this in little under an hour, but it tasted as if it had been on our stove all day. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Sweet Potato and Carrot Curry

Recipe from Quick and Easy Vietnamese by Nancie McDermott

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic

1 cup thinly sliced onions

2 stalks fresh lemongrasss, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths

5 slices fresh ginger

3 tablespoons curry powder

1 pound boneless chicken breast (or thighs) cut into big, bite-sized chunks

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

3 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

2 1/2 cups chunks sweet potatoes and carrots

In a large deep saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, lemongrass, and ginger and toss well. Add the curry powder and cook until the herbs are fragrant and the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes.

Add the chicken and cook for one minutes. Toss well and cook until the chicken begins to brown. Add the fish sauce, sugar, salt, and chili sauce. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, sweet potatoes and carrots and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cook, 10 minutes. Remove the lemongrass chunks and serve with white rice.

Lunch at Ivywild

We spend a fair amount of time at Ivywild, an old school built in the early 1900s that’s been renovated and repurposed as a bar/bakery/coffeeshop/lunchstop. Eating with a toddler in a public space can be hit or miss. Thankfully, we’ve taken Lulu out since she was a little baby, which I like to believe has prepared her for many more delicious restaurant meals. So today, I’m not sharing with you what we ate (it was good) but rather, the faces and expressions of my daughter. Because these are the things worth remembering.

Lunch Lunch3 Lunch2 Lunch4

Yogurt Banana Bread

You can never have too many banana bread recipes. In fact, I would argue, that the more banana bread recipes you have…the better. I’ve been enjoying banana bread for as long as I can remember. We make it year round in our family…and we’ve experimented and changed just about everything but the bananas. This yogurt banana bread is one of our favorites. Not only does it excel in taste and texture but it helps keep my fridge empty. Because much to my chagrin, my toddler doesn’t eat yogurt. I wish she would…it’s such an easy, healthy snack. But try as I might, Lulu has a mind of her own. Subsequently we often have a full carton of yogurt in our fridge (because surprise, surprise Lulu’s mama doesn’t particularly like yogurt either).

This banana bread came together in about ten minutes. Ten minutes and your house will smell heavenly, your family will thank you, and you’ll get to enjoy a warm slice of banana bread with a cup of coffee or tea.

Yogurt Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup coconut sugar

1/3 cup greek yogurt

1 cup mashed bananas

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease four mini loaf pans (or one standard loaf pan) with butter. Set aside. Cream together butter and coconut sugar for 2-3 minutes. Add in eggs, beat well. Add in yogurt and mashed bananas. Stir until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. Divide evenly between four mini loaf pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Valentine’s Day Cards 2015

While Ryan and I aren’t into boxed chocolates or flowers, we definitely care about cards. (And I might actually care for chocolate….) But we believe a good card can make or break Valentine’s Day…and I know we’ve both been scouring the web to find the right one for 2015. So, without further talk, these are a few of my favorites. Let me know if you’ve found something special in the comments. I’m still looking for a good Valentine’s Day card for Lulu!

Ferme A Papier

Fawn Paper Company

Hello Lucky

Rifle Paper Co

Curried Quinoa Plate

We love Bon Appetit, and we always skip a bit when one of their glossy magazines arrive at our mailbox. Their most recent issue inspired us to embrace winter by pulling together a variety of warming and flavorful ingredients. This Curried Quinoa Plate is an adaptation of a Bowl recipe they shared. Why did I put it on a plate? Well, it photographed a lot better (to be honest). So you’re more than welcome to enjoy this on a plate or a bowl. The curried roasted vegetables, the toasted sunflower seeds, and our new favorite cheese (halloumi) make for a flavorful and unique lunch or dinner meal.

Grains: two cups of cooked quinoa or brown rice

Roast Veggies: Dice up purple sweet potato and delicata squash. Toss with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and a dash of curry powder. Roast in 425 F oven until tender.

Sunflower Seeds: In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss in 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds and cook until golden and crisp (save oil for cheese).

The Cheese: Griddle sliced Halloumi cheese in leftover oil until golden.

Dressing: Mix 1/4 cup tahini, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric and salt/pepper to taste

Greens: Arugula works well or thinly sliced heartier greens (kale, collards) that have been tossed with apple cider vinegar to to moisten and tenderize.