Indian Takeout leftovers

We love Indian foods, all of it, but particularly curries. We have in our neighborhood, fortunately or unfortunately, 2 great Indian restaurants, both of which deliver for free. I'm not saying that we overuse the privilege, but it has happened that we called for Indian twice in the same week.

The thing is though, I don't like to overdo the bread, or the rice so I'm left with a lot of unused curry sauce and I hate to throw it away. Friday night we had Indian, and I ate my prawns and my vegetables, but couldn't bring myself to throw away all that tasty Vindaloo sauce so I put it in the fridge.

Today I took it out, along with the little container of red hot onion condiment and decided to see what I could come up with. It was very simple, but delicious!


Butternut Squash-Chickpeas Curry
3 servings

Ingredients:

1 tsp canola oil
1 1/2 cup diced butternut squash
1 TBSP red hot onion chutney
1 cup chickpeas
1 cup leftover Vindaloo sauce
Chicken broth
1/4 cup cilantro
Salt & Pepper

Directions

Heat oil in medium saucepan, add diced squashed, sauteed until slightly brown. Add a little chicken broth to Hot onion chutney (just to spread it a little) and add to the saucepan. Add Chickpeas and cook for a few minute, until the chutney thickens on the squash and chickpeas.

Add Vindaloo sauce, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes.

Add cilantro, season with salt and pepper and serve over grains (I served it with whole wheat couscous).

Happy Cooking!

Fall Butternut Squash and Kale Beef Stew

We've been sick for over a week now with the flu and cooking have been, hum, very basic. Tonight I felt like something good, and NOT CHICKEN!

I stopped by Safeway and grabbed some extra lean ground beef, a butternut squash and kale. I figured I would think up something to do with that. I did!

This recipe was made up on the spot and written down afterward, so it might not be totally precise. It's close enough though.

I'm in one of those phases where I want to invent my food rather than following a recipe. So far it works! ;o)


Fall Butternut Squash and Kale Beef stew

Ingredients

1 small leek, sliced
1/2 lbs extra lean ground beef (93%-7%)
2 lg white potatoes diced
1 cup diced butternut squash
3 cup Kale, chopped
10 cremini mushrooms, cleaned and halved
1 can tomato sauce
Fresh rosemary & thyme,
Salt & pepper
1 Tbsp canola oil

Directions

Put potatoes and squash in a saucepan, cover with water, season with salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer about 6 minutes. Drain, set aside.

Add chopped rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper to the ground meat and mix well.

Heat oil in a large pot and sauteed leek until just starting to brown. Add the meat and brown (do not overcook). Add kale, and cook until wilted. Add tomato sauce and mushrooms, what's left of the rosemary and thyme and bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes.

Fold in the potatoes and squash and cook another 10 minutes. If it's too dry, add some beef broth (or water).

Season with salt and pepper and serve.

I loved it, so did my husband. I have a feeling that the leftovers might taste better than the better round as the flavor have more time to blend and the sauce thickens.

Happy Cooking!