Garam Masala Chicken Stew with Potatoes and Peas

I got a little wild and added kale and garbanzo beans to this Garam Masala Chicken Stew recipe.

Have you ever bought a bottle of spice for a certain recipe, then the bottle sits there forever in your pantry waiting for you to think of a way to use it again? I have a bottle of cardamon that I use about once a year in a recipe for a Ukrainian honey cake. I make it on my Mom's birthday, because she was full-blooded Ukrainian and its a nice way to remember her. Every now and then I come across another recipe that calls for cardamon, and I think, "I must try that", mainly to use some more cardamon. 

Well, my garam masala spice blend has been hanging around for quite some time, also. Its a mixture of spices from India that includes cloves, cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg, black and white peppercorns, bay leaves and caraway, and the blends will vary by region. I just know it works really well with chicken. I bought mine atNew Frontiers store, where they sell spices in bulk. I got enough to fill my spice jar for about $1.50.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garam_masala

When I spied this recipe on the Better Homes and Gardens recipe site, I knew I needed to make it for three reasons: 1) use up some garam masala; 2) I have frozen chicken breasts, and 3) we got some nice big red potatoes in our last box from SLO Veg. I almost had forgotten how good this spice blend is! I should use it more often, like when I am sautéing chicken breasts for a chicken salad or something. It's a nice change from the usual salt-pepper-garlic go-to blend I use every day.

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/fragrant-garam-masala-chicken-stew-with-peas-and-potatoes/

I varied this slightly by using chicken breasts that I cubed and put into the crock pot with just a bit of olive oil. I also added a bag of pearl onions that had been in the freezer for a good six months. I let them cook in there on high for about an hour while I got ready for my day. Then I added the other ingredients and left to run errands. When I returned to the house about 3 hours later, the potatoes were nearly ready. We ate this stew for lunch, which was perfect because my husband had stayed home from work with a cold and this was perfect! The only thing is, I forgot to stir in the yogurt, but that's okay, because there are leftovers. I will try it with yogurt added today!

Garam Masala Chicken Stew with Peas and Potatoes

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes

1-2 tsps garam masala spice blend

1 Tbs olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

5-6 large red potatoes, halved and sliced

10 oz. pkg frozen pearl onions

10 oz. pkg frozen green peas
1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
4 ribs kale, sliced into ribbons

15 oz. tomato sauce

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup plain yogurt

I swirled the olive oil in the bottom of my crock pot, then added the chicken and sprinkled on the garam masala. Next I added the garlic and ginger, salt and pepper. I gave it all a stir and let it cook for an hour on high heat until the chicken turned white. Then I added the potatoes, pearl onions, kale, garbanzo beans, tomato sauce and chicken broth and let it cook for 3 hours until the potatoes were tender. Ladle into serving bowls and top with a dollop of yogurt.

Cauliflower-Potato Mashers, Roasted Asparagus and Peach-glazed Pork Tenderloin

We had a nice, light type of dinner tonight: mashed cauliflower & potatoes with garlic and brown gravy, roasted asparagus spears, and peach-glazed pork tenderloin. It hit on all the right notes without feeling too heavy or rich.

We get our SLO Veg box delivered every other week now, and it works out about right for us most of the time. I have to supplement my vegies from the grocery store somewhat to meet all my needs, like salad greens and more onions, but I try to plan our meals around what comes in the box. I wanted to cook the wonderful fresh asparagus before the tips went mushy, so that was high on tonight's list. Since I had a pork tenderloin to cook, I could also roast the asparagus in the oven. The weather had turned a bit cold lately, so an oven-prepared meal was in perfect order. I coated the pork tenderloin in my homemade rub and drenched it with a peach barbecue glaze. That needed 35 minutes in a 325 degree oven. I put the asparagus in about 10 minutes after to roast alongside. 

Then there was the cauliflower: I had steamed a whole head of beautiful snowy-white cauliflower the other night and had about one-third of it leftover. It wasn't over cooked, still crispy, so I figured with a little more steaming it might be good for mashing. A good cauliflower mash is all the rage now for lightening up the old standby mashed potatoes. There are dozens of mashed cauliflower recipes out there calling for almond milk, ghee, garlic and other add-ins, but I happen to love traditional mashed potatoes with garlic and butter. Maybe a half-and-half version would satisfy? So I halved four small red potatoes and put them into a pot of water to boil. When the 'taters were almost done, and added in the leftover cauliflower to cook it thoroughly. Then I called in the Hub with his big guns to mash it all up. He added roasted garlic, sour cream, salt and pepper, and milk for a creamy, savory mash. I made a light gravy using water and a packaged mix for a non-fat brown gravy topper. 

The cauliflower made the mash slightly lumpy, and I had left the peels on the potatoes, so we had a rustic type of mashers that was pretty good. Our son noticed the texture was different, but he liked it. The asparagus was tender and buttery with a very light crunch.  The pork was so tender and flavorful, it completed this comforting meal with an elevating touch.