Our omnivore’s attempt to go vegetarian for a week of Meatless Monday led us to the discovery of a new food – the breadfruit, native to the Pacific Islands. We’d seen it before in Asian markets, but for some reason, were never compelled enough to buy one. This week we finally did, and I have to say, it is now one of my favorites.

I have a deep love of potatoes and breadfruit is quite like the potato – starchy, bland and high in carbs – but ready and able to take on any flavor. The football-sized fruit is also fast-growing and high in fiber and protein, which makes it a great food for combating world malnutrition. See this interesting article in Newsweek titled Breadfruit to the Rescue. If you were a fan of Mutiny on the Bounty, you’ll find it quite fascinating!

Most recipes we found called for stuffing it whole with any combination of meat and vegetables, then grilling it on an open fire. Since it’s quite cold now here in Seattle we opted out for the outdoor cooking, and instead cracked open the fruit and cut the flesh into cubes. We then simmered it in coconut milk, turmeric, garlic, ginger and a bit of chili powder – a delicious concoction we’ve named Breadfruit Coconut Curry.

For the full recipe and instructions click below:

Here are some other interesting breadfruit recipes:

• Find  breadfruit appetizers, main dishes, desserts and more on National Tropical Botanical Garden
• Breadfruit Cake from GroupRecipes
• Vegan Breadfruit Pizza from Child of the Nature Isle
• Breadfruit Casserole from Nevis, West Indies

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This is a fun twist on the classic curried chicken salad. It’s brighter and lighter with the apples and lime juice, and more flavorful with the lemongrass in the curry. The chilies in the curry also adds a nice kick! Increase or decrease the amount of curry to adjust the spice. This salad can also be served in sandwiches. Try substituting tuna for a “pescatarian” version.

Green Curry Chicken Salad

½ roasted chicken
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Thai Green Curry Paste
1 Lime, Juiced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
¼ cup green onion, chopped
1 head Romaine lettuce

Remove skin from chicken and then meat from bones. Shred meat, discarding skin and bones.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, green curry paste, lime juice, and fish sauce.

Mix in shredded chicken, chopped apple and green onion.

Chill and serve on a bed of Romaine or Bib lettuce.

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We just may have a white Christmas after all here in Seattle. It snowed last night and the streets are covered in a beautiful thin blanket of white. It probably won’t last so we’re enjoying it while it’s here.

After frolicking in the snow at least one thing is required: something hot. If it’s late enough in the day I prefer a hot mug of Chambord spiked cocoa, but it’s still a bit early so a nice bowl of soup satisfies and takes the chill off. One of my all-time favorite soups is this recipe for Curried Butternut Squash, adapted from the Silver Palate Cookbook.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

4 tablespoons sweet butter
2 cups yellow onions, finely chopped
4 teaspoons curry powder
3 pounds butternut squash
2 apples; peeled, cored, and chopped
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup apple juice
Salt and pepper

Optional: crème fraîche for topping

Melt the butter in saucepan. Add chopped onions and curry powder. Cook covered over low heat until onions are tender (about 25 minutes).

Meanwhile, peel the squash ( a regular vegetable peeler works best). Scrape out the seeds and chop.

When onions are tender pour in the stock, add squash and apples, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until squash and apples are very tender (about 25 minutes).

Puree soup in the pot with a stick (hand) blender or transfer to a food processor and blend. Add apple juice. Also, add additional stock, if needed, until desired consistency is reached.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add a dollop of crème fraîche.

4-6 portions

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I love duck. And I love curry. But preparing both from scratch can be a daunting task. I recently found this quick and easy recipe for duck curry that is so good people will think you spent all day grinding spices and smoking duck.

Fast and Easy Duck Curry
Peking duck is available at Asian markets.

1.5 – 2 lbs Peking duck
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 fresh red chili, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 2/3 cups coconut milk
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
1.5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Duck is a fatty little creature, but I prefer to leave on a bit of the less fatty skin for added color, flavor and texture. If your duck comes with a sauce or two, throw those in your curry – it will only make it tastier! Remove the bones, making sure to get the tiny ones that are easy to miss. Cut into bite-size pieces.

Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat, add the onion, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chili and continue to cook for another couple of minutes. Stir in the curry paste and cook until blended (about a minute), then add the peanut butter.

Slowly whisk in the coconut milk and cook until thoroughly combined. Add the chicken stock, bring to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add the duck, lime juice and fish sauce, and let simmer another 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with rice.

Note: I think zucchini, eggplant or other vegetables would be delicious additions too!

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One of the delicious dishes we created in our Indian cooking class the other night was a chicken curry with cashews. As I said in Part I, the dishes that were prepared were quite easy yet wonderful and full of all that flavorful Indian goodness! If you are tired of hearing, “Chicken again?” try this recipe.

Curried Chicken with Bell Peppers & Cashews

1/2 C olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, minced
4 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 T ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 lbs. chicken, cubed
2 C diced bell pepper (we used a combination of red, yellow and orange which was beautiful)
1 C diced yellow or white onion
1 C peas
1 C cashews
1 C cilantro, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat 1 T olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and garlic and cook until wilted. Add the bell peppers and cook until onions are translucent. Take veggies out of the skillet and set aside.

Pour in the remaining oil to the skillet and add all the spices. Stir quickly until completely mixed. Toss in the chicken and cook approximately 7 minutes or until no longer pink. Put the veggies back into the skillet along with the peas. Cook until heated through. Stir in the cilantro and cashews, then serve. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with more chopped cilantro and cashews on top.

*Options: you can adjust the level of any of the spices for added flavor. We like a little kick to our food so next time I will increase the cayenne pepper amount.

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