Mung Bean curry soup

Based on this with alterations in parenthesis:
https://www.heynutritionlady.com/mung-bean-and-coconut-curry/

4 Tbsp sunflower oil
1 Tbsp whole cumin seeds
9 cloves garlic crushed (about 3 Tbsp crushed garlic)
14 oz can crushed tomatoes (i used stewed)
2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger (i used frozen cubes from trader joes)
2 Tbsp ground coriander (omitted, did not have)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper (1/8 tsp only)
4 cups water (only did 3 cups)
1 cup mung beans picked over for stones and well rinsed (I used less water because I used split yellow mung beans.)
14 oz can coconut milk
1-2 medium limes juiced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped (omit, did not have)

This turned out to be a very delicious soup. I served it with flatbread and it is really great. I used the instant pot to saute and did ~30 minutes on low after the beans went in. The beans still had some bite which was nice.

Tilapia in coconut milk

I made this recipe up. It's the best preparation of tilapia I've had in a while.

Put 1 cup coconut milk into 9x13 dish. Set 4-6 tilapia fillets into the milk (1 - 1.5 lb), getting it onto both sides of the fish.
On top of the fish, sprinkle dried chopped onion, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Then I sprayed some olive oil pam on top of the fish to moisten the herbs. I'm not sure if that step was necessary.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Or something. I didn't set the timer. I used 6 tilapia and they were all touching.

Poblano & Chorizo Polenta (or Grits)

http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/06/roasted-poblano-grits-with-chorizo/
Poblano & Chorizo Polenta (or Grits)

I used Bob's Red Mill Grits for this recipe. I used light coconut milk from Trader Joes in place of the milk, and the sweetness was a great contrast to the spiciness of the poblanos. (This brand of coconut milk is my new favorite since there is no thickeners added, and for many applications light coconut milk is perfectly adequate, especially when directly substituting for cows milk. It is also only a dollar per can, compared to $2.50!). I also mixed coconut oil into the finished polenta in place of butter.

I cooked a whole pound of bulk chorizo (from Hy-vee butchery) and we served it on the side, not mixed it. David liked being able to mix it in various ratios according to his likes.

Finally I served it with a ripe avocado that I sliced. And David put shredded cheese on his. But we all loved the meal. LOVED.

Banana Bread: Against All Grain

http://allfueledup.blogspot.com/2013/08/against-all-grains-banana-bread.html
This is from the Against All Grain cookbook.

In the above link it says in the comments how the bread can appear when undercooked. I think mine was undercooked, and it was quite wet, even though the toothpick came out dry. The middle looked a little under, but I trusted the toothpick. Next time, don't trust the toothpick! Let it go at least 50 minutes. Also, I may have put in a little less coconut flour than called for, and I know that can make a difference. Also I mixed it by hand, and so next time I will use a hand beater.

I think this recipe will turn out better next time. I subbed 1 T brown rice syrup for the 3 T honey and it was plenty sweet. It probably did not need any sweetener.

Thai Beef Stew

http://againstallgrain.com/2014/07/07/crockpot-paleo-thai-stew/
Crockpot Thai Beef Stew

I used a different red curry paste, and this was good. (it was actually a blend of two). I used only about 3 oz of it because I know from experience the one linked in the original recipe is extremely mild. I served it over rice.

Coconut Fish Pie

http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2013/04/coconut-fish-pie/

This was not pie-like at all. It was more like soup. The first night I served it, we ate it like soup and it was not as appetizing that way. When I served the leftovers, I served it over white rice. That improved the dish a lot.

I used cod for the fish. The flavors were all good, but the presentation could have been better. I would have preferred the fish whole with the mash on the side, for example.

Green Thai Curry with Chicken

The instructions on the green curry paste bottle that "Thai Kitchen" makes say to put in 1 or 2 tbsp of paste for 1 can of coconut milk. I made the recipe that way (2 tbsp) and it was so mild I could barely taste any flavor. It really needs 2 or 3 times that amount. It wasn't hot at all either.

I added diced onion, carrots, and potatoes and let simmer until cooked. Also added cooked chicken somewhere in the simmer time. It would have been nice to add some fresh basil but I didn't have any.

We ate it on brown rice. David and I liked it, but it was very lacking in flavor. Also I did not add sugar as the bottle suggested and was glad. It is plenty sweet from the coconut milk.

Shrimp and Spinach Curry

http://paleodietlifestyle.com/curried-shrimps-and-spinach/
Shrimp and Spinach Curry

This was really good. I've never made a curry before, and blending the sauce as it says in the directions made it perfect. David hates shrimp, so this is going to me a laura only dish. The spinach was nice in it as well.

Coconut Cream pie

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/old-fashioned-coconut-cream-pie/

This was ok. I used a can of coconut milk in place of 1.5 cups of half and half based on some reviews. The pie was good, but I guess it didn't really thrill me. I guess I'm not a cream pie fanatic.

Chicken Curry

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Kai-Kang-Dang-Chicken-Curry-with-Coconut-Milk/Detail.aspx

This was really good. Of course, it is fattening so it had better be. I made some brown basmati rice to go with it.

I used one can coconut milk in this recipe. I don't think it was 2.5 cups (maybe 14 or 15 oz though), but it was plenty. The bamboo shoots added a nice crunch. I found a can of them at the store but could not find Thai basil. I used regular basil instead and it tasted great. I left out the sugar since DH doesn't like sugar in his food. Instead of frozen veges, I used a head of broccoli. I thinly sliced the broccoli stem and added it to the sauté pan a few minutes after the broccoli florets so that the stem pieces would be a touch crunchy.