Happy first day of winter!

I can't believe we're here already.  It's the first day of the winter solstice and Christmas is right around the corner.  Even though I live in Southern California, it can get cold at night and there's nothing that I love more than a nice curry.  Hence, my inspiration for this gorgeous comfort dish using the easy and delicious meals from Kevin’s Natural Foods for the #kevinsrecipechallenge. 

SO… here’s my take twist on two ultimate comfort dishes - chicken pot pie meets shepherd’s pie – made healthy for your fit lifestyle

And I'm calling it Chef Mareya’s Royal Thai Curry Chicken Pie.

I love taking traditional recipes and turning them on their head, but keeping them gluten-free, dairy-free and super delish. So I replaced the crust with a blanket of this gorgeous-colored purple sweet potato mash and an edging of crispy eggplant to look like a ‘pie’.  I always pick purple...

INGREDIENTS

1 pound chicken breasts, poached and cubed
½ cup diced celery
½ cup diced cored Fuji, Gala, or Pink Lady apple
¼ cup cashew pieces, toasted
¼ cup currants

DRESSING
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon each sea salt and ground white pepper, plus more as needed
½ teaspoon ground ginger
12 whole butter lettuce leaves, for serving
1 tablespoon raw hemp hearts (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1) In a large bowl toss together the chicken, celery, apple, cashews, and currants.
2) MAKE THE DRESSING: In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until smooth.
3) Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and toss until well coated. Adjust the seasoning as needed.
4) Serve scoops of the chicken salad in the butter lettuce leaves and top with a sprinkle of hemp hearts, if desired, for an added omega-3 boost and a nice little pop of texture.