Valentine’s Day dinner 2019

 

 

 

 

All of the recipes were new this year:

Jicama, Carrot, and Green Apple Slaw

2 cups shredded napa cabbage
1/2 of one jicama, peeled and shaved (I used a carrot peeler to shave it, just so the jicama would look different from the daikon)
1 cup shredded daikon radish (more or less, daikon is pretty wet by itself)
1 Granny Smith apple – peeled, cored and chopped
2 (or more) large carrots, shredded
1 firm pear, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
sea salt and pepper to taste

Place the cabbage, jicama, radish, apple, carrot, pear, and cilantro into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Toss until evenly blended and serve.

Carrot Soup with Lime and Chiles

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 pound peeled baby carrots
1/2 cup instant brown rice
28 oz. reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small can chopped green chile peppers
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and cook for a few minutes, then add the garlic, and saute for 1 more minutes. Add the carrots, rice, chicken broth, water and salt to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, loosely covered for about 20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Stir in the green chilies and lime juice. Set aside to cool slightly.

Puree the soup using a hand immersion blender. Serve warm.

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Vegetables and Herbs

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 pound chicken breast tenders
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 or 8 new white and purple potatoes, cut into quarters
8 ounces fresh baby carrots, green tops trimmed to 1-inch long
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Stir the flour, black pepper and paprika on a plate. Coat the chicken with the flour mixture.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until well browned on all sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet. Pour off any fat.

Add the onions and potatoes to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots, stock, lemon juice and oregano and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Cover the skillet.

Roast for 25 minutes. Uncover the skillet.

Roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with the thyme, if desired.

Carrot Pecan Crunch Pie

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans
4 cups carrots, cut into pieces
2 eggs
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 pinch salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

To Make Topping: In a medium bowl combine brown sugar, melted butter or margarine, and chopped pecans. Mix well and set aside.

To Make Carrot Custard: Steam carrots until tender. Drain and cool. Puree cooled carrots with hand immersion blender, and add eggs, condensed milk, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Blend until smooth. Pour carrot mixture into pie shell. Sprinkle with pecan topping.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

And we also had purple carrots, which made one carrot girl very happy: