Coconut Curry Chicken

I recently have fallen in love with Massaman Curry. I do not like regular curries, so I stayed away from Thai restaurants for awhile. After giving it another chance, I discovered the mild, sweet flavor was perfect. I decided to try it at making it at home, but after searching through various recipes I found that I did not have all the exotic ingredients that most recipes called for. This recipe was inspired by About.com's Thai Massaman Curry http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaicurrydishes/r/Thai-Massaman-Chicken-Curry.htm recipe, subbing a couple ingredients for the ones I always have on hand. It didn't turn out exactly the same of course, so I call it Coconut Curry Chicken. It has a similar flavor and hits the spot when I can't run and out get the real dish. It is even husband approved!


Coconut Curry Chicken

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1/3 cup bell pepper, diced
4-5 cloves garlic

3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. turmeric (or mustard powder)
1 tsp. ginger powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. lime juice (or 1/2 tsp TrueLime)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. peanut butter

1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1-2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into chunks (regular potatoes can also be used, but I like the color and taste of the sweet potato)
1 14 ounce (400 ml) can coconut milk (not lite)

1 cup jasmine rice
1 cup water
1 1/4 cup chicken broth (finishes out the can from above)


Directions:

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Heat the oil and butter together, then add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes to release the fragrance.

Add the broth and flavorings. Stir with each addition and bring to a light boil.

Meanwhile, combine rice, water, and remainder of broth in separate pot and bring to boil on high. Immediately reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes or until liquid is gone. Remove from heat and let steam 10 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving.

Add the chicken to the curry sauce, stirring to coat with the spicy liquid, then add the coconut milk and potatoes. Stir and bring back up to a boil. Reduce heat to low, or just until you get a good simmer.

Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken and potatoes are tender.


To serve, plate the rice and spoon the curry over the top. About.com also mentions: if you prefer a more liquid curry sauce, cover while simmering. If you prefer a thicker curry sauce, leave off lid. Taste-test the curry, adding more fish sauce for increased flavor/saltiness, or more chili if you want it spicier. If too sour, add a little more sugar. If too salty or sweet for your taste, add a touch more tamarind or lime juice. If too spicy, add more coconut milk.

I have also done this in the slow-cooker, heating the vegetables and curry sauce on high, then reducing to low when adding the chicken portion to simmer. I added the chicken whole, then removed and chopped it before serving.

Banana Pancakes with Nutella

I love Nutella and am always looking for new ways to enjoy it. I found a banana pancake recipe by Hungry Girl in her 200 Under 200 Cookbook. I like using Hungry Girl's recipes, but I don't always have the special ingredients on hand that make them low-cal. Not being overly concerned with the final calorie count - the Nutella pretty well ruins that - I substituted the recipe for 'regular' ingredients. This recipe makes 5 mini pancakes, which is perfect to feed me and my picky toddler for breakfast.

Banana Pancakes 

Ingredients

1/3 cup banana, mashed (about 6")

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon applesauce

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

dash cinnamon

dash salt

1/4 cup whole-wheat flour

Directions

1. Heat griddle to 275 degrees - these need to cook low and slow. 


2. In a small bowl, mash the banana. Add the egg and beat together. 
3. Add the milk, applesauce, vanilla, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; mix until combined. 
4. Add the flour, stir until just blended. 
5. Pour batter onto griddle to form five pancakes (I use the 1/4 cup, almost full, as a scoop). Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until done. This is usually until bubbles form on the first side and until the sides are no longer sticky on the last side.
6. Plate and spread with Nutella or your choice of topping. 

Fresh Spaghetti Sauce

This year we attempted our first garden. We started with tomatoes, bell peppers, jalepenos, cucumbers, yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, and onions. All that survived were 1 onion, 4 small bell pepper plants, and 5 flourishing tomato bushes. We have been slowly going through the tomatoes, but after picking 20 pounds one weekend I decided it was time to do something with them. I have made this spaghetti sauce recipe before and utilized it with fresh tomatoes. It was a long and messy process, but definitely satisfying in the end.

This recipe was inspired by Bobby Flay's Spaghetti and Meatballs with Tomato Sauce and Allrecipes Fresh Spaghetti Sauce. I also followed the tomato prep steps from Pick Your Own.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Yields 3 jars

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

1/3 c carrot OR sweet potato, diced

1/3 c green bell pepper, diced

1/3 c celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, smashed

10 pounds fresh tomatoes

-OR-

2 (28-ounce) cans plum tomatoes and their juices

1 (16-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 small can tomato sauce or paste

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

1/2 teaspoon dried bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon white sugar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Cook vegetables: Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add onions and cook until clear. Add carrots, bell peppers, celery, and garlic, continue to cook until soft. 
2. Meanwhile, prepare fresh tomatoes: remove the skin, seeds, and excess water; add to large pot. If not using fresh tomatoes: mix canned tomatoes and water in a large pot. 
3. Add vegetables and seasonings to tomatoes. Season with sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. 
4. Bring sauce to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. 
5. Uncover and continue to simmer about 2 more hours or until desired consistency is reached. 

Because I had 20 pounds of tomatoes I doubled this recipe. The prep process went pretty fast once I got into the groove of moving the tomatoes to the ice water, putting 4 new tomatoes into the boiling water, then skinning the cooled tomatoes while the new ones boiled. I don't think I removed quite enough excess water from the tomatoes, so I ended up scooping a few cups off the top once everything started simmering. It took me about 5.5 hours overall, which included research time on how to prepare the tomatoes. I didn't want to truly can and preserve the sauce, so I put two jars in the fridge and the rest I filled 3/4 full and froze. For our family of three I used half a jar for one meal.