Blueberry Coconut Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups blueberries
2 tsp brown sugar, for topping
2 tsp sweetened flaked coconut, for topping


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, stir flour, sugar and baking powder.

In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until well blended.

Add wet ingredients to flour mixture, stirring gently until just combined.

Gently fold in blueberries.

Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups. Top each muffin with a sprinkle of brown sugar and a sprinkle of coconut.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then move to wire rack to cool completely.

Chicken Curry Noodle Soup

This soup is perfect for a could snowy day like today. It's creamy with a kick of spice. Cilantro has become one of my favourite herbs to use on dishes so I highly recommend it as a garnish. It adds a freshness to the soup that you wouldn't normally achieve. 

Ingredients: 

1 pound fresh thin or regular Chinese egg noodles
Peanut or corn oil for deep-frying
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cans coconut milk, unshaken
2 - 3 tablespoons red curry paste, or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
3/4 pound chopped chicken meat
4 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1 teaspoon palm sugar or brown sugar
1/4 cup shredded green cabbage
Juice of 1 lemon

green onions

cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken. Rub a tablespoon of curry paste onto chicken. Cook for 20 - 25 minutes. Shred and set aside.

Cook noodles according to package instructions. Set aside.

Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a small saucepan and heat until ready for frying. Meanwhile, pat dry 1 cup of the cooked noodles with paper towels. When the oil is hot, add the noodles. tongs, stir gently to separate the strands and lightly fry, about 30 seconds. Lift out the noodles and place on paper towels to drain. Remove the pan from the heat. Set noodles aside.

Measure out 2 tablespoons of the oil used to fry the noodles and place in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until browned, about 1 minute. 

Do not shake the cans of coconut milk before opening. There should be a thick layer of cream on top of each. Spoon off 1/2 cup of the thick cream from the top of each can and add it to the garlic. 

Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until the cream boils gently. Add the red curry paste, curry powder and turmeric and stir until smooth. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the mixture is thick and the oil begins to separate around the edges and rises to the surface, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken. Cook until the chicken becomes white, about 2 minutes. Raise the heat to high. Add the remaining coconut milk, the chicken stock, fish sauce, palm or brown sugar and cabbage and stir well. When the mixture begins to boil, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil and continue cooking for 8 minutes longer.

Add the lemon juice and noodle and serve with green onions and cilantro.

Coconut Oil White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm obsessed with white chocolate so when I came across these I just had to try them. Using coconut oil instead of butter gives these cookies an aroma that is indescribable. Usually white chocolate cookies can be overly sweet and leave you feeling a little sick... however these are just right! Check out this amazing blog for the recipe to these cookies. 

Butternut Squash Coconut Curry

I literally went to 4 different grocery stores trying to find tamarind paste and finally found it at an asian specialty store. If you want to try and make this I suggest visiting one first and buying all your ingredients there. Other then the never ending search for ingredients, this curry was quite amazing. I loved how smooth and creamy it was. There was just enough spice and heat, neither overpowered the other. Definitely try this out!

Ingredients:
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 medium (roughly 2 1/2 pound) butternut squash
3 tbs cooking oil
1 large shallot, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2-inch knob fresh ginger, minced
1 jalapeño chile, chopped (seeds optional, for extra heat)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne (optional, for extra heat)
2 small, dried red chilies (optional, for extra heat)
1 tbs tamarind paste
1 3/4 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
Cilantro, for garnish
Cooked rice, to serve

Peel and dice the squash into bite-sized pieces. You should have about 5-6 cups of squash.

Warm the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring, until the shallots are soft and translucent.

Add the jalapeño chile, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, and small dried red chiles (if using). Stir to release fragrance, cooking for 2-3 minutes.

Add the squash, tamarind paste, coconut milk, water, and salt.  Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes until squash is tender and just beginning to break down.The squash will thicken the curry as it cooks down. 

If you want an extra-thick and creamy curry, puree a cup or two of the squash with an immersion blender and mix it back into the curry. ( I did this.)

Garnish each plate with cilantro and serve with cooked rice.