November 1 Meal:

Alright, back to day 1.  I decided to start with the first recipe in the magazine, Panang Chicken Curry, along with the Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with White Balsamic.  It was a nice slow start to the month.

Panang Chicken Curry

This was a quick and easy chicken curry recipe.  The chicken is simmered in coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, Kaffir lime leaves (or lime juice/peel), onion, basil, red bell pepper, bamboo shoots, tamarind paste, fish sauce, and sugar.  With all of that you'd think the flavor would be really strong, but it was actually quite subtle.  The tamarind paste stayed in one little clump and never really broke up until I prodded it with a spoon.  In the end, it was a good recipe, but a little low on flavor.

Yumminess: 7 out of 10
Cost: Approx. $11 for 3 servings.
Time: Bon Appetit said 25 minutes for prep and total.  It took me about that long.
Was it worth it?: Yes, for an easy dinner.



Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with White Balsamic

This is a simple combination of carrots and parsnips dressed up with olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, rosemary, salt, and pepper.  The vegetables are roasted for a while.  However, the roasting time I needed was a lot less than what Bon Appetit suggested.  Seems to be a trend, especially with roasted things.

Yumminess: 7 out of 10
Cost: Approx. $4 for 4 servings.
Time: Bon Appetit said 40 minutes for prep and 1:30 total.  It took me only about 10 minutes for prep and 45 minutes total.
Was it worth it?: Yes, this was an easy way to make carrots and parsnips differently.