January Meal Plan: Week 4

Week 4! Week 4! Week 4! We did it! We January-ed. Together. With delicious meals and snacks taking up just the right amount of brain space and energy. Maybe a little extra space in our tums though because energy bites and noodles and fries, oh my. Who can stop? All so good. 

And this week won’t be letting you down either. Spicy-sweet, silky peanut tofu bowls, chicken meatballs with roasty peppers and fluffy orzo, sheet pan chicken pitas with big ol’ thwaps of cool tzatziki. Are you excited?! We sure are. 

Also the easiest, cozy most wholesome apple muffins to start or boost your days. Oh week 4, you have our hearts.

Recipes This Week

Meal 1: Chicken Meatballs with Peppers and Orzo

A commenter said, “I rate this a 20 out of 10. WOW. I could drink this sauce. No really, I thought about it!” And to that we say, us too. US TOO! It’s all just so good. And also, why not drink the sauce? Just get this one up in a martini glass, put the meatballs on a fancy toothpick and have at it, girl. The side of orzo might be tricky, but maybe it’s a two drink night?

Meal 2: Sheet Pan Chicken Pitas with Tzatziki

Well, look at this roasty boasty little pan of flavor. All the briney robust Mediterranean greats are coming at you sheet pan style. Marinated baked chicken, feta cheese, roasted red pepps, and all the fresh cukes and olives you desire. Oh, and get your pita boat ready for that tzatziki, friends!

Meal 3: Spicy Peanut Tofu Bowls

This totally easy, spicy-sweet silky sauce is spilling all over some fluffy rice, oven-roasted broccoli and red peppers, and let us please not forget the golden-crisp cubes of perfectly cooked tofu. It’s also super flexible if you want to mix and match just about any part of this, you’ll still come up with an amazing dish in the end. Chicken instead of tofu? Sure! Prefer a different veg blend? Go for it! Quinoa instead of rice? Please do! Just…don’t mess with the peanut sauce. It is perfect. (Okay fine, even then you can sub almond butter if you must.)

Snack / Breakfast: Feel-Good Apple Muffins

An apple a day keeps the doctor away but TWO apples all shredded up with a few other wholesome ingredients keeps you in Apple Muffin business and that is arguably more life-giving. Cozy, dense, warm cinnamony goodness. This snack/breakfast option is going to keep you smiling all week long. Honey butter on that, anyone? Yes please, of course.

Vegetable / Side: Simple Green Salad

You know the drill, you love the drill. Always great with spring greens but drizzle this stuff over some roasted veg this week, maybe add a little rotisserie chicken.

Grocery Lists and 3-2-1 Prep Day

You know the drill – and if you don’t yet, hop to it! Grab a spot on our special email list and we’ll send you a full grocery list and meal prep guide to help you out.

This series includes FREE printable meal plans for every week that not only include what you need to make these delicious meals, but how to make them happen in an easy, fun, and efficient way through the meal planning system I’ve used and loved. It’s real-life tested and real-life approved.

Here’s what’s included:

• A meal plan with the selected recipes for the week;
• A full grocery list;
• A prep guide that outlines a 60 to 90 minute blitz for prepping your meals for the week. THIS TOOL IS CRITICAL and this is what differentiates this resource from just a list of recipe links. I already did the work to pull out the steps that work well to prep ahead, and I made them into a really nice and easy guide for you.

Get started below!

Thanks For Joining Us!

This is our last week of meal planning and we hope this jumpstarted your year in a way that felt manageable and helpful. Maybe you’ll keep at it? 2022 is here to stay and we’re moving through it, in some ways we didn’t expect to, and maybe you are, too. Those 60-90 minutes on a Sunday night, knowing you’re setting yourself up for the week. We’ve been filing it away in the self-care folder which feels just about right for life right now, yeah? 

If you’d be up for it, we’d greatly appreciate your feedback on how meal prepping and planning went for you! You can take our short survey here.

Our somewhat frazzled weeknight-selves are always pretty grateful for our Sunday night-selves when we open the fridges and know exactly what’s about to happen and that in no time at all, we will be sitting down to a warm, wholesome plate full of deliciousness. Heck yes.

The post January Meal Plan: Week 4 appeared first on Pinch of Yum.

from Pinch of Yum https://ift.tt/3AHOu37

Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Potatoes

Major rich delicious takeout vibes but you made it your very own self and it is absolutely craveable.

Super creamy and lush, thanks to the coconut cream, level the spice just where you want it and then let your Thai-inspired yellow curry dreams come true. Impeccably savory with a teensy bit of sweet, scooped over a bed of steamy rice. Yes, yes please right now.

Okay, so, there is a tiny 45-minute detour TOTALLY WORTH TAKING here, to make your own yellow curry paste first. Please trust us. Don’t run away! Because here is the thing, it will freeze beautifully and then be ready for you for the next, like, five times you want to make this super easy creamy, silky bowl of yellow chicken curry comfort. And you’re going to want to make it. Like, a lot.

In This Post: Everything For Yellow Chicken Curry

• Watch How to Make Yellow Chicken Curry
• Ingredients for Tender Yellow Chicken Curry
• How to Make This Curry
• Big Flavors From the Curry Paste
• Thai Yellow Chicken Curry: Frequently Asked Questions

Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?

Ingredients For Tender Yellow Chicken Curry

You can find everything needed to whip up your very own homemade batch golden yellow curry paste here [link]. After that, the ingredient list is beautifully short! Like, aaaalmost 5-ingredient short.

• curry paste
• boneless skinless chicken breasts (chicken thighs can also work)
• golden potatoes
• onion
• coconut cream
• fish sauce & brown sugar (optional but SO good!) and rice & cilantro for serving! (We just made this all one point so you could see we were *so close* to 5-ingredients)

Simmer, Stir, and Get Ready To Fall In Love with This Curry Dish

Once you’re in curry paste business, this lil’ treasure is so so easy to make. Like, weeknight dinner easy. Yes please, here for it.

1. Sauté. Grab a skillet or a large pot and get your onions going first over medium heat until nice and fragrant. Then, toss in your chicken and curry paste and let that do it’s thing. Finally, toss the potatoes in there.
2. Simmer. Pour that luscious coconut cream in there with a bit of water and let it simmer away until the chicken and potatoes are cooked.
3. Stir. Add in a little splish splash of fish sauce and a sprinkle of brown sugar to really make it sing.
4. Serve. On a pile of steamy rice. Fall in love forever.

Big Flavors From The Curry Paste

We don’t know about you, but sometimes that yellow curry paste is hard to find in our go-to stores. Green, red, yep yep…but that beautiful golden deliciousness, where art thou?! Well, homemade yellow curry paste it is then. It takes a little time to come together, but it’s a big batch and then that is on hand for the next time your yellow curry craving strikes. Like, maybe tomorrow for breakfast? (Seriously, don’t knock it until you try it. We’ve been known to scrape a pan or two of cold curry in the morning as, like, a pre-breakfast. Worth it, every time.)

You’ll roast up some aromatics first, like a whole bunch of garlic, some ginger and some shallot. You’ll rehydrate some Thai chilis, you decide on the spice level. And then it’s just blend up and store in a jar and ta-da, curry paste at the ready!

We love that this recipe is also pretty flexible. The chicken/potato combo is such a delicious win but you could absolutely sub tofu or throw in any other veg you might have hanging out in the fridge. And if you only have coconut milk on hand, that can totally work, you’ll just adjust the liquid amounts accordingly to get the right consistency. But if you are ready to swim in a sea of lush, rich, unbelievably smooth creaminess – then coconut cream it simply must be! You will not regret it.

Such a beautiful bit of rich, creamy, surprisingly easy, takeout-vibe comfort food which we can get behind any day of the week. Yum.

Thai Yellow Chicken Curry: Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use coconut milk instead of coconut cream?

Coconut milk would work fine in this recipe, if you just adjust the amount of water based on the consistency you want for the sauce. But if you can find it, coconut cream will make this REALLY delicious.

What other protein options would work well here?

This beef curry recipe is similar and beef would be great! For a vegetarian-friendly option, you could use tofu or chickpeas.

What can I serve with this?

This is really filling as-is, but some type of flatbread (like naan) would be delicious to soak up the curry sauce.

Source notes: Kaeng Kari is the yellow curry dish commonly found in Thai restaurants outside of Thailand. It usually incorporates the use of yellow curry powder (“kari” referencing “curry powder”), which came to Thailand via the spice route. It is the result of British military presence bringing the Indian powder spices like turmeric and, according to Wiki, the “Anglo-Indian invention, curry powder.” It’s usually milder and less oily than traditional Thai curries. We originally came upon the bones of this recipe from The New Saveur Cookbook (affiliate link). Our yellow curry is inspired by a recipe created by chef Andy Ricker, who owns the Thai restaurant PokPok in Portland. We made some adjustments to taste and for some more readily available ingredients for the paste, we also used chicken instead of beef in the final curry dish.

Print

Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Potatoes

---

4.7 from 149 reviews

• Author: Pinch of Yum
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Potatoes! Chicken, golden potatoes, onion, coconut cream, and an absolutely incredible homemade yellow curry paste sauce. 

---

Ingredients

Units

• 1 tablespoon oil
• half a yellow onion, sliced thinly
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/3 cup yellow curry paste
• 10 baby golden yukon potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
• one 14-ounce can coconut cream (it’s like coconut milk, but even more luscious)
• 1/2 – 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce (optional)
• 1–2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)
• cilantro and rice for serving

---

Instructions

Video

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium low heat. Add the onions and saute for a few minutes until the onions are fragrant and softened. Add the chicken and curry paste; saute for 3-5 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir to coat with the curry paste.
   
2. Add the coconut cream and 1/2 cup water to the pot – simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are fully cooked, adding more water depending on the consistency you want for the sauce.
   
3. Stir in the fish sauce and brown sugar to really take it up a notch. Seriously – so good. Serve over rice.
   

Equipment

Nylon Spoon

Buy Now →

Large Pot

Buy Now →

The equipment section may contain affiliate links to products we know and love.

Notes

The nutrition label does not include the rice. 

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Sauté
• Cuisine: Thai-Inspired

Keywords: yellow curry recipe, yellow curry chicken, chicken curry, thai yellow curry

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! 🌟

Recipe Card powered by

More Thai-Inspired Yum

• Chopped Thai-Inspired Chicken Salad (lots of BIG flavors and topped with a homemade peanut dressing)
• Rainbow Vegetarian Pad Thai with Peanuts and Basil (made with a simple 5 ingredient Pad Thai sauce)
• Thai Coconut Soup with Tofu and Rice (all in a savory coconut creamy broth with swirls of chili oil)

The post Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Potatoes appeared first on Pinch of Yum.

from Pinch of Yum https://ift.tt/2PcL4jz

18 Better-For-You Products You Absolutely Need to Be Stocking Up on From ALDI

This post is sponsored by ALDI

---

Hey! Me again!

Your friendly neighborhood ALDI lover!

I love several things about ALDI, all of which you’ve heard me talk about before.

• affordability and accessibility;
• quality of products;
• organic options galore;
• amazing pantry essentials;
• but also great snacks and seasonal stuff;
• and just generally always something new and fun to try.

I’m not a huge in-store shopper in general, so most of my ALDI purchases happen online / via grocery pickup or delivery (I use the Instacart app). Which is DOUBLY WONDERFUL! Affordable prices, quality organic products, really fun and delicious finds every time, and I don’t even have to change out my sweatpants… I mean, I really don’t deserve this.

I buy a little bit of everything from ALDI – the fun snacks, the seasonal stuff, and the pantry essentials – but today we’re going to take a quick run-through on the 18 products that I think you absolutely should be stocking up on from ALDI. These are the things that I not only buy and love, but that I buy IN LARGE QUANTITIES especially now as we look to eat fun and nutritious and better-for-you food to get us through the 900 days of January.

Here we go – my favorite foods to stock up on from ALDI!

---

1: Simply Nature Organic Chopped Kale

Why I like it: Kale is a year-round winner, but it’s a real hero especially in the dead of winter. It’s perfect for smoothies, soups and stews, and salads, and I love that it comes pre-chopped and washed.

2: Simply Nature Organic Spring Mix

Why I like it: I buy this WEEKLY because we are very into this simple green salad at the moment, and organic spring mix is the base of it all. Just gently dress these greens and you can serve them with literally everything – a side for dinner, something to round out a brunch, or a quick entree salad with a piece of parmesan herb chicken on top (more on that to come).

3: Simply Nature Organic Baby Spinach and Arugula

Why I like it: Spinach and arugula is another winner – sometimes I throw handfuls of this into the spring mix so the greens lean more towards a spinach salad vibe. I also buy the plain spinach to use in soups and smoothies. My fridge contains multiple containers of organic greens from ALDI at all times because they are so affordable. Thank you, ALDI!

4: Simply Nature Organic Black Beans

Why I like it: I keep a pretty hefty stock of canned beans in my “pantry” aka small single upper cabinet. The ones I buy most frequently from ALDI are the black beans and pinto beans (also just because those are the ones I use the most in my cooking). I also frequently rely on canned beans to feed the girls when… groceries are lookin’ a little low. Make a quick quesadilla, throw some seasonings and canned beans in, and call it delicious.

5: Simply Nature Organic Chicken Broth

Why I like it: I think what I love most about the broths from ALDI is just the wide variety – they have all kinds of broths, stocks, and even bone broths (!!) and all of them that I’ve tried have been really, really good. Absolutely a pantry staple for us.

6: Specially Selected 100% Pure Maple Syrup

Why I like it: I use real maple syrup a lot in baked goods or snacks or breakfast things, especially for the girls. But real maple syrup is expensive! So I stock up on the real maple syrup at ALDI regularly because not only is it real, but it’s affordable. I think I currently have two, maybe three of these open in my fridge. 😂

7: Simply Nature Milled Flax Seeds

Why I like it: The flax meal from ALDI is another snack / baking essential for me right now – I throw a couple scoops of this into energy bites, smoothies, muffins, and morning oatmeal. Nutty flavor, wheaty texture, and lots of protein and fiber! Triple win!

8: Simply Nature Organic Quinoa

Why I like it: I keep a couple bags of quinoa stocked at all times – both of my girls really like it as a protein booster to just about any meal, and I like that it’s so versatile. Three cheers for a quinoa that is organic and affordable.

9: Simply Nature Organic Creamy Peanut Butter

Why I like it: This peanut butter has no added sugar, which is perfect for just keeping things clean and simple. Once you incorporate it with the oil, the texture is almost drizzable which is actually really wonderful – I will drizzle it over apple slices for my three-year-old or use it to make a fancy-looking topping on my morning oatmeal.

10: Park Street Deli Hummus

Why I like it: Really, the hummus mention here is all about the variety of hummuses (and dips – don’t even get me started on the dips) that you can find at ALDI. The hummus is something we almost always have in our fridge and often ends up on the girls’ plates to round out their meals with a little something extra. The girls love this for dipping with veggies – although my one-year-old will also just eat it with her hands. 😂 I like it with the ALDI Specially Selected Naan Bread for these chicken pitas.

11: Friendly Farms Traditional Plain Whole Milk Greek Yogurt

Why I like it: This plain whole milk Greek yogurt is a weekly buy for us – and by weekly buy, I mean multiple containers, every week. We put yogurt in and on recipes, and I often stir a dollop of it into our meals to cool it down quickly for the girls. But it’s also so creamy and luxe that it’s frequently eaten just out of a bowl for breakfast or snack with fruit, granola, and/or honey.

12: Simply Nature Organic Whole Milk

Why I like it: Organic, affordable, and done. As a family with two young kids, we go through A LOT of this milk every week.

13: Friendly Farms Original Oatmilk

Why I like it: My three-year-old actually just asked me for a glass of this this morning (lol). Bjork occasionally uses this for his smoothies. But mostly I buy this stuff for myself. I’ve mentioned it before and I’m sharing it again because it’s one of my all-time favorite products from ALDI. I use it mostly for coffee – this oatmilk honey latte is one of those small joys that gets me through winter.

14: Simply Nature Grade A Organic Cage Free Brown Eggs

Why I like it: Organic cage-free eggs – is there more to say? I stock up on these and usually buy 2-3 containers at a time (excessive, maybe yes) so that I am never without them whether for breakfasts, baking, or quick dinners.

15: Season’s Choice Frozen Mango

Why I like this: We stock up on these mangoes primarily for smoothies – they make a great creamy, sweet, smooth base. But my girls also love to eat these just plain (after thawing). They make for a great omg-we-don’t-have-any-fruit fallback because they’re good for a long time in the freezer. I also use them for things like this mango salsa when we can’t find any fresh ripe mangoes.

16: Kirkwood Frozen Parmesan Herb Encrusted Chicken Tenders

Why I like it: HELLO these are very good. I am a new fan – just bought them for the first time a few weeks ago and we now have multiple bags in our freezer. Most of the time I’m just baking them and slicing them up to put on a salad – which conveniently makes eating a salad a lot more enjoyable. The flavor is so good and they are *supremely* crispy. Perfect for salad topping!

17: Simply Nature Organic Broccoli Florets

Why I like it: We keep so much frozen produce from ALDI in our freezer through the winter months – and broccoli is one we have ALWAYS, always, always. Obviously, it’s great to toss in recipes, but when we’re low on fresh veggies we just steam a bag of this and serve it to the girls with some hummus. I also roast this frozen broccoli which goes lightning fast around our house.

18: Season’s Choice Garlic and Herb Riced Cauliflower

Why I love it: I love using pre-riced cauliflower to add veggies and bulk to lots of recipes. This easy sheet pan cauli rice was a winner last year and I still use this method regularly! I recently bought one from ALDI that was a cauliflower and sweet potato rice combo – so good!

---

There you go – my ALDI picks for January stock-ups.

I’d love to hear from the ALDI fan squad out there – what are your favorite ALDI finds right now?

---

Thank you to ALDI for sponsoring this post!

The post 18 Better-For-You Products You Absolutely Need to Be Stocking Up on From ALDI appeared first on Pinch of Yum.

from Pinch of Yum https://ift.tt/3rKnGLJ