Curry: A Versatile Food You Should Try Today

indian chicken curry in balti dish

Some individuals never do a lot of cooking, even once they become adults. They might order pizza and other delivery options a lot, or they frequent McDonald’s, Burger King, and other fast-food restaurants. They might purchase lots of microwaveable meals at the grocery store.

If this sounds familiar to you, now might be the time to start cooking more of your own meals. Cooking can relax you, as it’s an activity you can enjoy on the weekends or a weeknight if you’re not too busy with other tasks. More importantly, it’s healthier and often cheaper if you cook your meals.

Getting food delivered is expensive, and things like pizza, burgers, and fried chicken aren’t exactly healthy in most instances. If you make your own food, you know exactly what goes into it, and you can make sure you get protein, fiber, and vitamins while staying away from too much saturated fat, sodium, and harmful additives.

With that in mind, let’s look at curry, a fantastic, versatile option you can frequently enjoy.

What’s So Great About Curry?

The summer is coming on, and that’s a busy time for many people. In addition to your usual work routine, you might have at-home projects to do as well. You may need a pro to check your gutters if you’ve got leaf debris clogging them, and you’ll need to mow your lawn often to keep it from looking overgrown.

The meals you prepare in your kitchen should not take very long, and they shouldn’t be too much of a challenge if you’re a neophyte cook. One of the nice things about curry is that you can make it pretty easily, and it’s relatively foolproof.

Several cultures have used and loved curry for centuries. There are both Indian and Thai versions. You can use many different ingredients if you want to make a pot of it, so you can often get some going without making any extra grocery store trips.

What’s a Basic Curry Recipe?

There are dozens of different curry styles, as you’ll see if you look at any Thai or Indian menu. You can get cream-based ones or ones that feature white vinegar as the main ingredient.

As one example, though, you can purchase a curry base that comes conveniently in a packet. The company Kitchens of India makes a very good one. You can locate them in grocery stores, or you can buy them on Amazon.

You can use either a regular pot on the stove, or else you can utilize an instant pot on the pressurized mode, which will cook the curry even faster. You can use lamb cubes as a base, cut up pieces of chicken breast or thigh meat, or you can use fish or pork. If you’re using pork, you can cut up boneless pieces from chops or loin.

Add the uncooked meat or fish pieces to the regular or instant pot. Then, cut up raw potato chunks if you have any. You can leave the potato skins on for extra fiber. Just make sure to wash them thoroughly beforehand.

You might also go with a bag of frozen peas, or you can cut up some carrots into small chunks. You can use beans as well, such as dark red kidney beans if you have a couple of cans.

What’s Next?

Next up, you will open the curry base and add it to the pot. Then, cover the ingredients with just enough water to submerge them. Stir the ingredients up thoroughly and turn on the fire.

If you’re using an instant pot on the high-pressure mode, you can set it for 30 minutes or so. The lid will lock in place, and you don’t need to do anything else for as long as the curry is cooking. If you’re using the regular pot, you should lower the heat once it boils. Stir it every 15 minutes, and it should be ready in a little over an hour.

Once you’ve cooked the veggies and meat all the way through, you can stir again vigorously, and your curry is ready to go. Make sure it cools first.

You have a satisfying dish that your family should love, which has all of the nutrients you need. It’s very low in fat and sodium. You can keep a few curry packets in your kitchen to make this frequently.

It won’t take long before you understand why curry has become such a staple for countries worldwide.

Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta – Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. The opinions are my own.

About a year ago I discovered the Instant Pot, and I was intrigued by all the recipes and blog posts I found online.  After a couple of months of browsing I decided I would buy an Instant Pot when they went on sale for Black Friday.  And I got one!  My husband was a little skeptical at first.  He wondered why we needed an Instant Pot. (After all, we already have a Crock Pot!)  But I promised him, it would be worth it!

Thanksgiving night I was looking online at the Instant Pot and getting ready to place some Christmas orders, when my husband walked in the door with an Instant Pot in hand! (While running out the store, he decided this would be a nice surprise for my upcoming birthday.)  Now I have to admit, at first I got a little intimidated by this contraption, but luckily my husband loves to cook too, and he was happy to help me with the first recipe I decided to cook.  (Since then, he’s been more than happy to experiment with his own Instant Pot recipes!)  And like a lot of things, once I got to working with the Instant Pot, I found it very easy to use!

Today I am sharing the very first Instant Pot recipe I decided to make.  It is Crack Chicken Pasta, or if you prefer Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta.

Why I Love This Recipe

This pasta turned out so great!  Personally I love anything that has Chicken Bacon Ranch in the name, so I was very excited to make this!

And I was impressed with just how easy it is to make this one-pot meal (pictures of the process are below).

I was also happy to serve this to our baby.  He’s eating more table foods now, and he loved it.  I just chopped up some of the chicken and noodles for his portion and then served him some veggies on the side.

Tips and Recommendations

If you wanted to make the whole dish healthier, you could add any vegetables you like; I’d recommend broccoli or perhaps a medley of broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower.

I should also mention that Instant Pot Recipes like this one make a LOT of food, and they are very easy to freeze for later.  (I have a a goal for 2019 to do a lot more freezer cooking!)

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If you’ve been thinking about buying an Instant Pot and just haven’t gotten around to it, I completely recommend it.  I have the Instant Pot 7-in-1 DUO60. I have the 6 quart, but this same model comes in 3 and 8 quart.  The 6 quart is a good size for our family, and it allows me to make enough food for freezing or to giveaway, and it has all the functions and features we need.

And if you already have an Instant Pot, then I’d love to have your recipe recommendations! Leave a comment here or share with me on social media.  (You can also link up your recipes at our latest Friday Favorites linky party!)

Chicken Florentine Pasta

This post is sponsored by Stella® but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

With a new baby in the house, it has become even more challenging to get dinner on the table, so I find myself looking for more and more quick meals and time saving solutions.  At the same time, I don’t want to sacrifice taste and quantity.  Today I’m sharing a recipe for Chicken Florentine Pasta.  It is the perfect example of a quick and easy meal that tastes like it came from a gourmet restaurant, and it shows must how much you can do with a few good ingredients and a little creativity.

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Hashbrown Casserole and Clean Up with Scotch-Brite® Scrub Dots

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ScrubWithDots #CollectiveBias

With the holidays right around the corner, it’s time to brainstorm recipes and menu ideas and prepare for that big holiday grocery outing.  While preparing your shopping list, it’s just as important to add cleaning products and tools that you will need.  Enter Scotch-Brite® Scrub Dots Previously I’ve written about the Scotch-Brite™ Brand and how their wide range of products helps me with my household cleaning.  Recently I purchased their new Scotch-Brite® Scrub Dots sponges and dishwands.  Today I’m going to share these products with you and show some examples of the products at work in my kitchen, including how I used Scotch-Brite® Scrub Dots to clean up after making a Hashbrown Casserole. (Recipe included!)

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Homemade Chicken, Broccoli, & Rice Casserole + Mina’s Adoption Story

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NutrishFureverHome #CollectiveBias

Did you know that October is National Pet Adoption Month?  As an animal lover and pet parent,  I’m celebrating this event today with a delicious family recipe inspired by Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® cat food, and I’ll also be sharing my own pet adoption story, plus a sweepstakes and information on how you can help shelter animals this month through Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Furever Home™, an organization Helping Shelter Pets Find The Home They Deserve.

Let’s start with the sweepstakes!  During the month of October, you can enter to win a grand prize of $25,000 and a one-year supply of Nutrish® dry dog food or one year worth of Nutrish® dry cat or one of three first prizes of $5,000 and a one-year supply of Nutrish® dry dog food or one year worth of Nutrish® dry cat. For more information on contest rules and how to enter, check out the sweepstakes page.

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Crockpot Ranch Chicken

I absolutely LOVE crockpot meals.  In most cases, you just throw your ingredients in to the crockpot and wait for everything to cook up!  It’s easy, and it’s such a time saver!  It’s also great, because I can throw everything together early in the day when I’m less busy, and I can be at ease, knowing that dinner will be on the table, without me having to scramble around in the evening.

And most crockpot meals go a long way.  I can cook and have a couple of days of leftovers, or I can freeze the leftovers to use for another day.  Today I’m sharing a recipe for Crockpot Ranch Chicken!  I love anything flavored with ranch, and this particular recipe also uses my favorite vegetables: carrots and potatoes.   [Read more…]

Loaded Pork Potatoes and Smithfield® Marinated Fresh Pork

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RealFlavorRealFast #CollectiveBias

Loaded Pork Potato

Pork tenderloin is one of my favorite foods!  To me, it tastes far better than other types of roast, and it isn’t nearly as greasy as other cuts of meat we’ve tried.  With springtime here and summer just around the corner, it is the perfect time to cook up some pork tenderloin on the grill.  Pork tenderloin is a very easy meat to grill, and Smithfield® makes the process even easier with their Marinated Fresh Pork products. [Read more…]

Crockpot Chicken Tacos + Tailgreatness with Nexium® 24HR

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AD #Tailgreatness #CollectiveBias

crockpot-chicken-tacos

If you read my blog frequently, you know that my family and I love to watch football on Saturday, and we always like to have something delicious to go along with the game.  For us, this usually means that we’re eating something greasy or spicy, or both!  And unfortunately, as much as I love those foods, they can take a toll on your stomach.  For that reason, I always take Nexium® 24HR, so that I can stop heartburn before it starts.  Today I’m going to discuss why I love Nexium® 24HR, and I’m going to share a delicious homegating recipe for Crockpot Chicken Tacos.

nexium-24hr

Nexium® 24HR is for the treatment of frequent heartburn.  It should be taken every day for best results, and it may take 1 to 4 days for full effect. You should always read the product packaging and refer to the company’s website before taking the product.

I’ve always found the product to be very effective against my own heartburn, and I love that you just take one pill.  And it is also the #1 choice of Doctors and Pharmacists* for their own frequent heartburn.” *Among PCPs and Pharmacists who use a branded OTC PPI.

The 42 count package is also actually organized in to three 14-count bottles.  I find this more convenient than a larger bottle.  And if you have more than one person in your household who takes the medication, then you can each have your own bottle.

 

nexium-at-walmart

Nexium® 24HR is in the healthcare section at Walmart.  You can find it in the stomach care aisle, and right now you can find a special display for the 42 count package. The product is available in capsule and tablets.  And on top of Walmart’s every day low prices, the 42 count box currently has a $3 off coupon that you can pull off and use right at the register.

nexium-24hr-42-ct

As promised, I also have a tailgating recipe!  My family just loves tacos and Mexican food, and so I’m always looking for new recipes with a little Mexican flavor!  I also love looking for new recipes that allow me to use my crockpot, so this one is right up alley.

 

crockpot-chicken-taco-meat

This recipe features skinless, boneless chicken breasts and a few simple ingredients!  Like most crockpot recipes, you can whip this up in the morning and allow it to cook until you are ready to serve, or you can even cook up your meat the night before and just reheat it the next day.

Then after you meat is prepared, you just add your favorite tortillas or chips, and serve your tacos or taco salads up with all the fixings!

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chicken-soft-tacos

Got a tailgating recipe you’d like to share with us?  If so, I invite you tell me about it in the comments or share it at my Friday Favorites linky party.

And if you use Nexium® 24HR, I invite you to sign up for special promotional offers and coupons!

**Nexium® 24HR may take 1 to 4 days for full effect. Use as directed.

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Mexican Pizzas

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CampbellSavings #CollectiveBias
Mexican Pizza with Pace Salsa

The countdown to back to school is officially on.  Next week we are going to pay our son’s class fees so that he can get his school schedule, and then we’ll be buying school supplies and shopping for new clothes.  And even though we’ve still got a couple of weeks to go, I’m already thinking of menu ideas for all those back to school weeknights.  If you read my blog regularly or just look at the title, you will know that I embrace simple solutions, and that includes simple meal ideas.  Simple meals made with simple ingredients not only save me a lot of time and hassle, but they make my family happy.  And the great thing about some of our favorite meals, is that I can easily change them up to create all new favorites!

One of my son’s favorite meals is tacos.  I think he would eat tacos every single day if we would let him!  While I don’t want to cook tacos every night, I do enjoy coming up with similar alternatives to tacos such as quesadillas and Mexican Pizzas!  Today I’m going to show you how we make our Mexican Pizzas, and I’ve also got some coupon deals on Campbell’s products like Pace Chunky Salsa! [Read more…]

Doing Lunch with LEAN CUISINE® MARKETPLACE

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FeedYourFoodie #CollectiveBias
Doing Lunch with Lean Cuisine Marketplace

I’ve written a lot of posts here about making time for Mom, and especially the importance of not skipping meals and always scheduling time for lunch.  With the back to school season upon us, I feel these ideas need to re-emphasized.  Late July and early August are traditionally the times when we are doing our back to school shopping, buying everything from paper and crayons, to clothes and shoes, and of course, back to school lunch and snack ideas for the kids.  But what about something for mom?  As we load up those backpacks and prepare our kids for a successful day at school, we should also prepare ourselves for a successful day.  One way you can do this is by doing lunch with LEAN CUISINE® MARKPLACE.

They have a variety of delicious meals that include gluten-free options, protein packed options, organic ingredient options.  And their offerings include bold flavor profiles and sophisticated ingredients that are perfect for Mom!

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