New Leaf

¾ cup salted cashews

⅓ cup plain yogurt (not greek)

¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro

1 tbsp chopped fresh peeled ginger root

1 tbsp mild or hot curry paste

1 tbsp light brown sugar

½ tsp each salt and fresh cracked pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

2 lbs chicken thighs (8 pieces)

½ cup chicken broth

1 In a food processor, blend cashews until finely chopped. Add yogurt, cilantro, ginger root, curry paste, brown sugar, salt and pepper and process until smooth.

2 In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Brown chicken thighs until very browned, about 4 minutes per side. Scrape all of the sauce over the chicken with chicken broth. Stir until blended, reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cover. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Let sit, covered for 5-10 minutes. Serve over steamed wild rice and garnish with chopped roasted cashews and cilantro. Makes 4 servings

12 plum tomatoes (3 lbs/1.5 kg), chopped

2 sweet red peppers, chopped
1 small eggplant, about 1 lb (500 g), peeled and cut into (1-cm) cubes — (we subbed in zucchini instead)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh oregano
2 tsp (10 mL) chopped fresh thyme
½ tsp (2 mL) chopped fresh rosemary
4 cups (1 L) water
1 can (540 mL) white pea (navy) or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup (125 mL) crumbled feta cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
3.  Combine tomatoes, red peppers, eggplant and onion. Sprinkle with 1 tsp (5 mL) each salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Toss to evenly coat. Divide among baking sheets and spread out into a single layer. Toss garlic with oil left in bowl and arrange together on one of the baking sheets. Roast in upper and lower thirds of oven, rotating sheets halfway, for about 45 minutes or until vegetables are soft and browned.
4.  Set roasted garlic aside. Transfer remaining roasted vegetables and all juices to a large pot. Stir in oregano, thyme, rosemary and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until flavours are blended.
5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer about 3 cups (750 mL) of the vegetables to a blender or food processor. Add reserved garlic and half of the beans to blender. Purée, adding a little of the broth from the pot if necessary, until smooth. Stir back into pot along with remaining beans and return to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish each bowl with feta cheese.

Serves 8 to 10

Thank you Food and Drink for another amazing recipe