Banana Curry Chicken Foil Packets with Cashew Raisin Quinoa

I have a little secret.

Ready?

I’m not so good at keeping secrets. Unless you count the time I snuck off and bought a new wedding dress three months before my wedding and didn’t tell a single bridesmaid until I put it on.

 Proof.
But I couldn’t keep it from absolutely everyone. I just had to tell someone, you know? So I told my mom. About a week before. Sorry, no pictures of her shocked face during my last visit to the seamstress.
More accurately, I am pretty good at keeping secrets to a point, until I’m about to burst with excitement and want someone to share that with. So if you’re my friend on Facebook, this is going to sound like old news. But for everyone else, I’ve been holding onto something big. Something so big, I’m still a little bit in shock it’s actually happening to ME.
I’m writing to you as the newest Recipe Developer and Photographer at Clean Eating Magazine!
How did this come about? Well, let’s back up. First of all, it would never have happened if not for this little ol’ blog, and my wonderful readers. But there’s one in particular I need to thank. Kristen, are you out there? You, my dear, get the biggest thanks of all because if you hadn’t left this comment, it would never have even occurred to me to look for a position such as this. In fact, I never would have even thought to head over to Clean Eating Magazine and submit some of my recipes. I certainly wouldn’t have imagined receiving an email from one of their editors a couple weeks later, saying they’d like to consider me for the position of Freelance Recipe Developer and Photographer. Never pictured that I’d be engaging in a series of emails back and forth, challenging me to come up with new recipe ideas fitting their wholesome, nutritious guidelines. And never in a million years did I think it would all work out and that one day this would show up in my inbox:
This is Clean Eating Magazine’s CE Exclusives e-newsletter from May 16th, featuring my recipe. Go ahead, click it. Then click it once more and check out my recipe for Banana-Curry Chicken Foil Packets with Cashew Raisin Quinoa, live on their website, with my name on it and everything!
See, I told you this was a big deal. From here on out, two of my recipes will be published in a Clean Eating Magazine newsletter each month (the newsletter comes out bi-weekly, and one each month will contain two of my recipes.) Not only that, but they will be brand new recipes, never before seen on Cara’s Cravings. They’ll be comprised of clean, natural ingredients, and will align with Clean Eating’s standards of being low in calories, fat, and sodium – and big on taste, of course. If that’s up your alley, be sure to sign up for the newsletter. Or, just wait an extra week or so when I’ll be featuring them here.

Which brings me to my very first Clean Eating Magazine recipe, Banana-Curry Chicken Foil Packets with Cashew Raisin Quinoa. It’s brimming with colorful veggies and warm spices in a lightly sweet curry sauce that infuses the chicken with flavor as it steams in the foil packet. Paired with a simple quinoa studded with cashews, raisins, and coconut, the meal comes together almost effortlessly. You can view the recipe and nutritional information at Clean Eating Magazine. Try it, and let me know what you think!

PS – Has anyone tried baking with coconut flour since I posted the gluten-free, sugar-free chocolate cupcakes? You must! My new pal Chrysta of CusinEats is the winner of the frosting giveaway in that post. Congrats, girl!

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Thanks for visiting Cara’s Cravings. If you like what you see and want more, subscribe via email or in a reader, follow me on Twitter, or visit me on Facebook.

  Pin It

23 Responses to “Banana Curry Chicken Foil Packets with Cashew Raisin Quinoa”

  1. 1

    Junia @ Mis Pensamientos — May 24, 2011 @ 4:15 am Reply

    wow!! this is so exciting. my food philosophy is clean food veganism. just subscribed to their magazine. looking forward to your posts there 🙂

  2. 2

    Emily — May 24, 2011 @ 12:34 pm Reply

    Congrats, Cara! What an amazing opportunity 🙂 I love Clean Eating Magazine. I'm excited to see your star keep rising! ps – I definitely will be making this recipe. YUM!

  3. 3

    Emily — May 24, 2011 @ 1:10 pm Reply

    Wow,  that's great. Congrats! Seems like a wonderful fit!

  4. 4

    Branappetit — May 24, 2011 @ 2:24 pm Reply

    wow – that is awesome! I love Clean Eating!

  5. 5

    Amanda L. — May 24, 2011 @ 3:14 pm Reply

    Congrats! Such an amazing opportunity!

  6. 6

    Tasha — May 24, 2011 @ 3:20 pm Reply

    Congratulations, Cara! That is awesome. And the recipe sounds fantastic too!

  7. 7

    Joanne — May 24, 2011 @ 3:40 pm Reply

    CARA!!! I could not BE more excited for you! I'm sitting on a plane right now otherwise I'd be jumping up and down! Off to check out the recipe…looks AMAZING.

  8. 8

    Cara — May 24, 2011 @ 3:44 pm Reply

    Thanks Joanne! I sooo wanted to tell you when you made your bigannouncement, but I had to wait… hugs to my fellow superstar!

  9. 9

    Kaytorade — May 24, 2011 @ 4:20 pm Reply

    I'm a big fan of secrets. Especially when they're good secrets like this!

  10. 10

    Shannon — May 24, 2011 @ 5:42 pm Reply

    so awesome cara!!  this sounds amazingly delicious, as well 🙂

  11. 11

    Dawn Hutchins — May 24, 2011 @ 7:59 pm Reply

    You go girl. What a great job! I can't wait to try it.

  12. 12

    Chrysta — May 25, 2011 @ 4:32 am Reply

    OMG!!! that's sssoo amazing girl! Im so freakin proud of you. How cool. Seriously I was so excited reading this post. I have a subscription to this mag and will be on the look out for your amazing recipes. So kick ass!!!

  13. 13

    Maris Callahan — May 25, 2011 @ 9:46 am Reply

    Congrats on this new gig! Very exciting news!

  14. 14

    Anita — May 25, 2011 @ 11:42 pm Reply

    Congratulations to you !  What a great job !

  15. 15

    tasteofbeirut — May 26, 2011 @ 3:18 am Reply

    Congratulations on your column in that magazine; this chicken recipe was already making my mouth water and I have eaten dinner! 

  16. 16

    megi — May 26, 2011 @ 11:45 am Reply

    Congratulations Cara, that is so exciting. I am looking forward to try this recipe and the future ones.

  17. 17

    Melissa — May 26, 2011 @ 5:00 pm Reply

    Congrats!! That is so exciting!! Such a perfect opportunity for you!

  18. 18

    Nicole, RD — May 26, 2011 @ 11:49 pm Reply

    These sound amazing! Did you change something about your comments? I swear I tried yesterday from work (which work won't allow me to update my Flash Player, so I've been wanting to comment but haven't been able to) and this is the usual blogspot method.

  19. 19

    Sophia — May 27, 2011 @ 3:32 am Reply

    OMG!!!!!!!!!! This is FANTASTIC!!!! I always knew you were super talented, your flavor combos are always super amazing and it was about time someone paid you for it!

  20. 20

    grace — May 28, 2011 @ 6:10 am Reply

    i'm pretty good at keeping secrets from everyone but my mom.  she has secret-radar, i'm pretty sure.  this chicken isn't for me, but i love the side of quinoa!  very healthful and still oh-so-tasty. 🙂

  21. 21

    Nicole, RD — June 1, 2011 @ 2:01 am Reply

    These sound amazing! Did you change something about your comments? I swear I tried yesterday from work (which work won't allow me to update my Flash Player, so I've been wanting to comment but haven't been able to) and this is the usual blogspot method.

  22. 22

    Elina (Healthy and Sane) — June 2, 2011 @ 8:08 pm Reply

    OMG, that's so exciting!!!! Congrats! 🙂

  23. 23

    Kerstin — June 12, 2011 @ 8:01 pm Reply

    Congrats Cara!! What a fantastic opportunity – your recipes are perfect for them! 🙂

Leave a Reply to Maris Callahan