Simple Thai Coconut Curry

Strawberry season is here! Matt's been making smoothies galore, and I had them atop some french toast this morning. Later, some plain yogurt with bananas and strawberries and a (ok - hearty) drizzle of honey, and I'm already thinkin' up excuses to make my simple and delicious strawberry peach pie. It's a summer slice of heaven.

But this recipe isn't about strawberries, but don't be sad. It's still meets all the criteria: delicious, simple, and...well, that's all the criteria, really. It's an adaptation of an ol' Betty Crocker recipe, and old Betty girl sure knows how to cook. I served with basmati rice, pot stickers, and a Thai cucumber salad (recipe coming!).

Simple Thai Coconut Curry

• 1 lb. skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tsp. lime zest, plus juice of lime
• 1-2 tsp. minced ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 serrano chillies, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (reserve some for topping before serving)
• 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar snap peas
• 1 Tb. soy sauce
• 1 large bell pepper (any color will do)
• 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• salt to taste
• Thai basil for topping, if available (cilantro will also do)

Stir-fry chicken in a large skillet with oil. When chicken is no longer pink in the center, add garlic, lime zest, ginger, chillies, and cilantro and stir-fry for another minute or so. Add coconut milk, brown sugar, sugar snap peas, the pepper, soy sauce, and salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp). Simmer up to five minutes until the veggies are starting to get tender but still retain some crispness, and then stir in tomato. Serve with rice and top with Thai basil or cilantro.

Speedy Tagine-ish Chicken

I think unemployment, with its constant "no's" and "thanks, but no thanks" or "we'll call you's" is pretty much the pits. It's humbling, demoralizing, and I really think it's driven me to put meat back in my diet because I've up and gone meat crazy this week! First it was that sausage lasagna (still lickin' my lips) and now a Moroccan chicken dish. I also cooked some Thai with chicken that will be featured soon. Frankly, it's probably just a reaction to a year-long diet steeped in beans. My stomach was bound to rebel sooner or later when Matt brought up chickpeas for the millionth time.

Here is a very good (and super quick) Rachel Ray recipe called Quick Tagine-Style Chicken. Tagines are these clay pots used in traditional Moroccan cooking. They're gorgeous but heck, I'm a simple Pennsylvania girl so I used my skillet. The original recipe is printed below, and I made it to a T except I doubled all the spices and suggest you do too! What's a little chicken without some spicy intrigue? The recipe also calls for prunes and I was like, "What?! Do I look like an 80-year-old granny?!" so I opted for apricots. Next time I'm going to add a few veggies and perhaps a can of diced tomatoes. Simple and delish, with a savory sweet finish.

The recipe calls for prunes, but I chucked them and opted for apricots.

Definitely double the spices - you can never had too much cumin!

Quick Tagine-Style Chicken

recipe courtesy of Rachel Ray

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed beneath the flat of your knife with the heel of your hand, discard skins
• 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large bite-size pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Seasoning by McCormick) or coarse salt and coarse pepper
• 2 medium or 1 large yellow skinned onion, quartered and sliced
• 10 pitted prunes, coarsely chopped
• 1-ounce box or 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 2 cups good quality, low sodium chicken stock,

Spice blend:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika, eyeball it
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, eyeball it
• 1/2 teaspoon tumeric, eyeball it
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, a couple pinches

Couscous:

nocoupons

• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups couscous
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
• 2 scallions, finely chopped

Directions

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, in a slow stream, and add smashed garlic. Season the chicken with seasoning blend. Scatter chicken around the pan in an even layer. Cook chicken pieces 2 minutes on each side to brown, then add the onions, prunes, raisins and stock. Mix spices n a small dish and scatter over the pot. Cover and reduce to moderate heat. Cook 7 or 8 minutes, remove the lid and stir.

To prepare the couscous, bring chicken stock to a boil. Add couscous, extra-virgin olive oil and scallions and remove the couscous from the stove immediately. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork.

Uncover chicken and cook another 2 to 3 minutes to thicken slightly. Adjust the seasoning, to taste, and serve chicken on a bed of couscous. Garnish with chopped cilantro and scallions.

African Peanut Soup

So my mother would not shut-up about her African Peanut Soup. African Peanut Soup this, and African Peanut Soup that. Just when I thought she was done with her soup stories, she visits with the soup recipe in hand. There is no stopping this woman!

In honor of my mother, I present African Peanut Soup. I didn't want to love it (I mean, the main ingredient is peanut butter....in a soup!), but it was delicious. Matt agrees and today were were planning to have yesterday's leftovers. The whole time he kept saying, "Is it African Peanut Soup time yet?" I think we both just like saying African Peanut Soup.

We doubled the recipe and had enough soup for a few meals (and we're big eaters) because you eat this soup with rice. Something that's a bit different but delicious and supremely satisfying? I give you....yes.....you know what's coming...what for it....AFRICAN PEANUT SOUP!

African Peanut Soup

• 2 T. oil
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot, grated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T. grated ginger
• 1/2 t. crushed red pepper
• 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (Note: We used a bit less broth.)
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter (Note: We used crunchy. Take that, mom! We also doubled this recipe but only used about 1 1/3 cup peanut butter....I mean, that stuff is caloric!!)
• 2 cups chopped kale or sliced okra
• 1/2 to 1 pound raw shrimp, coarsely chopped or chicken breast, diced fine (Note: For a double recipe, we used two chicken breasts.)
• Salt and Pepper
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1/4 cup crushed peanuts for garnish
• chopped fresh hot peppers or hot sauce, for garnish (Note: If you're not a Crohnie, that is...)
  

Saute onion, carrot, garlic, ginger, and red pepper in oil until tender. Add tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add peanut butter slowly and whisk until smooth and creamy. If using chicken, add now along with kale or okra and cook 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked and okra is tender. If using shrimp, add it in the last 2-3 minutes before soup is done, so as not to toughen shrimp. Add salt and pepper tot taste and add extra broth if needed. Top with cilantro and serve with a scoop of rice and crushed peanuts.

I'm only including this photo because I loved the colors. I never thought I could love orange this way!

This is my fancy scoop of rice on top. What?! You think I was just going to plop it on there for this photo opp?! I think not.

Mr. China, Panda Pavillion - Your services are no longer needed

Sometimes a recipe really excites me. Today, that recipe is Hot and Garlic-y Chicken with Chinese Eggplant (I'm a wordsmith, what can I say). While at Produce Junction (the mecca of cheap, bulk produce) we spotted these peculiar, lanky eggplants and upon inspecting them the women in front of us chirped up and said, "Oh, Chinese eggplant, I just love to saute those." That was good enough for me, and we left the store with six of them (remember, they come in bulk).

The original recipe only calls for the eggplant, but I thought I'd make it a meal with the addition of chicken and a green pepper. I also added garlic and didn't have some of the fancier stuff on hand, so you're going to get my down and dirty interpretation, below. Down and dirty? Maybe. Delicious? Absolutely.

Even Penny thinks they're peculiar looking.

Hot and Garlic-y Chicken with Chinese Eggplant

• 2 long Chinese eggplants, cubed
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
  
• 4 Tb. soy sauce
  
• 3 Tb. rice wine vinegar (or red)
  
• 3 Tb. sugar
  
• 3 tsp. corn starch
  
• 1 Tb. sesame oil (we used olive)
  
• Sriracha sauce (which is an Asian hot sauce - add to taste - we used about 2 tsp.)
• dash of red pepper flakes (to taste)
  

Saute or grill chicken.

Place the eggplant cubes into a large bowl, and sprinkle with salt. Fill with enough water to cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse well, and drain on paper towels.

In a small bowl, stir all ingredients listed after garlic . Set the sauce aside.

Heat some oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Saute the green pepper, garlic and eggplant until it is tender and begins to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour in the sauce, and cook and stir until the sauce is thick and the eggplant mixture is evenly coated. Add chicken. Serve immediately over rice. (If you're feeling fancy, garnish with sesame seeds.)

Better than take-out. (With the exception of egg rolls; nothing - nothing - beats an egg roll.)

Medi Chicken Salad

I love how he plays along.

So Matt decided he was no longer going to have cold cuts on his lunchtime sandwiches (chalk it up to those recent studies of salt and nitrates, or, more aptly, this is most likely his next new "thing"). We had chicken breast on hand (when don't we?) and whipped up this fabulous chicken salad with a bit of Mediterranean flair. You have to adore feta cheese, and we adore feta cheese, if you know what I mean. We couldn't get enough, and savored this sandwich classic on rye and wraps, but it would be terrific on a bed of greens, too.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

• 3 cups diced chicken
• 1 diced red bell pepper
• 1 small red onion diced (or 1/2 of a larger one)
• 2 celery stalks, diced (OPTIONAL: We didn't have any on hand, and the recipe was perfect without it.)
• 4 Tb. mayo
• 4 Tb. sour cream
• 4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 tsp. dill weed
• salt and pepper to taste
• OPTIONAL: cayenne pepper / Cajun seasoning (per Matt)
  

Mix together mayo, sour cream, feta, and dill. Add to the diced chicken, red pepper, red onion, and celery (if using). Blend and season as necessary. Matt added some "Slap Yo Mama" to kick it up a bit (although he doesn't condone slapping your mother).

When we make this next, I plan to toss in some chopped artichoke hearts. I also think capers would be a stellar addition, or roasted red peppers. However you have it, it's damn tasty. Enjoy!

Seriously, it's better than it looks.

Wrap perfection.