Simply Fresh…A Collection of Inspired Recipes

As much as I try to diversify our dinner routine, I often find myself going back to the same handful of dishes, simply because they’re healthy, easy, and affordable. Cooking 5, unique dinners a week is tough.  Busy schedules, food allergies, picky eaters, and a mind towards healthy, sustainable foods all complicate the situation each night.

So where do I turn for new recipe ideas and inspiration? Cookbooks!  In an age where technology dominates, I still have my precious collection of carefully selected cookbooks that I’ve picked up along the way, some of which were purchased during my travels.

One of the most recent additions to my cookbook collection is Simply Fresh, which features 100 recipes inspired by the famous Ruby Tuesday restaurant and written by cookbook author, wine writer, and co-owner/winemaker for Covenant Wines in Napa Valley.  Despite the fact that there really isn’t a Ruby Tuesday within driving distance, I am familiar with the restaurant because we’ve frequented one of their many Nashville locations on trips out to see my husband’s family.

With an impressive nationwide presence (over 900 restaurants are currently located in 44 states across the country), Ruby Tuesday seeks to offer it’s guests “uncompromising freshness and quality” in a casual dining environment.  Naturally, I would expect a cookbook, inspired by the restaurant, to offer the same types of recipes.

Simply Fresh, from cover to cover, is full of creative, inspired, easy-to-recreate recipes that I would expect to find at a very nice restaurant.  Photography, particularly when it comes to food, is very important to me because it helps me create a visual goal.   The food photography in this cookbook does not disappoint.  Interspersed throughout these amazing fresh, gourmet recipes are the author’s tips on hosting successful gatherings, pairing wine with food, and much more. Unlike many cookbooks, there is an entire drink section, ideal for the foodie/entertainer.

Even just from skimming through the cookbook for the very first time, I found numerous recipes I want to recreate for my family.  I’m already dreaming up ways to make allergen-friendly versions of some of the recipes I think my children would most enjoy.

Despite the fact that breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, I decided to venture out and try to recreate a meal that I could add to my repertoire of dinner ideas. My husband and I are total foodies and enjoy a variety of diverse, ethnic foods, so I settled on Morgan’s recipe for Chicken Curry with Coconut Rice.  You can see my notes and edits in parentheses and italicized.

Curry

2 teaspoons of ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3/4 teaspoon salt, plus additional for seasoning

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds) cut into 10 to 12 pieces (skin removed) (we used 2 large chicken breasts)

2 tablespoons canola oil (we used sunflower oil)

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 cup plain yogurt

2 teaspoons curry powder

Freshly ground black pepper

1.  In a small bowl, stir together the coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and 2 tablespoons of the water to make a paste.

2.  Place the chicken pieces on a large platter, and spread the paste on the tops of the pieces. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3.  In a large, heavy skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat.

4.  When the oil begins to shimmer, place the chicken pieces, paste side down, in the hot oil and sear for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown on the underside.

5.  Turn the chicken pieces over and sear on the second side for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. (If your pan is too small to accommodate all of the chicken pieces without crowding, do this in 2 batches.)

6.  Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside on a large serving plate.

7.  Decrease the heat to medium, add the onion, and sauté for about 3 minutes, or until translucent.

8.  Add the garlic and ginger and sate for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

9.  Add the tomatoes and stir to mix well.

10.  Add the yogurt, the remaining 1 cup water, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt.

11.  Stir together all of the ingredients to mix thoroughly.

12.  Add the curry powder and stir to mix well.

13.  Return the chicken pieces to the skillet, making sure they are fully immersed in the sauce.

14.  Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil.  Decrease the heat to medium, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

15.  Uncover and simmer for 10 minutes more to thicken the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and season with black pepper. (If the curry is ready before the rice has finished cooking, remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.)

Coconut Rice

1 (13-to 14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 cups long-grain white rice

3 cups water

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cinnamon stick

½ cup minced fresh cilantro

*While the curry is cooking, prepare the rice*

1.  In a small saucepan, heat the coconut milk over medium heat, stirring to liquefy, for about 2 minutes, or until all of the solids have melted. Do not allow to boil. Remove from the heat.

2.  In a 4-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring regularly to prevent burning, for about 5 minutes, or until the rice turns lightly golden.

3.  Add the water, the warm coconut milk, and the salt. Use a wooden spoon to incorporate any remaining coconut milk solids into the liquid.

4.  Add the cinnamon stick and bring the liquid to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid is completely absorbed and the rice is tender.

5.  Remove the rice from the heat, discard the cinnamon stick, and fluff the grains with a fork.

Tips on plating:

1.  Place a large serving of rice in the middle of each dinner plate.

2.  Top the rice with the chicken and curry sauce.

3.  Garnish each serving wih a generous sprinkling of cilantro and serve at once.

This dish is phenomenal.  While it does take time to prepare (an hour from prep to completion), it is well worth it.  As I was prepping this dish, my kitchen was filled with the most incredible fragrance of South Asian spices.  Contrary to what you may think about curry, this particular dish is flavorful but not “spicy.” The combination of the curried chicken with the creamy coconut rice was delightful.

From flipping through the cookbook, I already hand-selected my meals for the coming week.  As you would expect, the book is divided into sections, according to food or meal type (i.e. Appetizers, Brunch, Pasta, Seafood, Dessert, etc.).  Simply Fresh is available in limited quantities online for $25.  And when you purchase the book, you’ll receive a $5 coupon off your next meal over $15 at Ruby Tuesday.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.

You can view my entire shopping experience here.

Recipe, courtesy Simply Fresh.

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Caryn Bailey

Caryn is a NICU nurse by day, blogger by night and mom 24/7. She savors the warm Southern California sun and loves to travel, shopping, baking, reading and frequenting her local tea room. Caryn created the column Lavishly Green for Peekaboo Picks Magazine to share her best tips for going green in style, she is the Former editor for Family Review Network, former OC Family Magazine online contributor, former Orange County Moms Blog contributor, former Evenflo Savvy Parent contributor, former member of the Totsy Advisory Board and former freelance writer for CBS Los Angeles.

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