Chicken in Yellow Curry with Naan

Well, the boxes have come out and we are starting to pack. I forgot how much I disliked packing :) I was spoiled this past year and a half with not having to move! Since high school I moved twice a year for 6 years, so taking a year off was really nice, but this will probably be our last move for some time (aka- 5+ years). I really look forward to being settled. I have not packed the kitchen yet, and probably won't until a couple days before we move. So, I should be still creating meals in the kitchen. Hopefully I have the energy between cleaning, packing, and moving!


Last night I made an Indian dish. It was a really delicious meal! I wasn't sure what to expect considering I have never made a real curry sauce or naan from scratch. Both, however, turned out great. The chicken itself did not take much time. The naan was a different story. Although it is a relatively easy bread, it needs 2 full risings. That makes the total time to make the bread about 2 hours (1.5 hours of waiting). Frying the dough on a frying pan, however, made the frying of the bread quicker than a traditional baking time. So I guess it's a give and a take :)


Chicken in Yellow Curry:
INGREDIENTS
1 tsp olive oil
1 c onion, diced
2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp garam masala (see my recipe below)
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 c red wine
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 c chicken broth


Garam Masala
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp bay leaves, crumbled
1/8 tsp cloves


DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat olive oil in Wok over medium heat and stir in onion. Cook onion until soft and golden brown. Remove onion from Wok.
2. Increase heat to medium-high. Season chicken with garam masala and curry powder (lightly seasoned is best!). Place chicken in Wok and brown while stirring (7 mins). Add red wine and red wine vinegar and simmer for 1 min. Stir in prepared onion and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer 10 mins.


Naan
INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1 c warm water
1/4 c sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp salt
4.5 c bread flour
2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 c melted butter


DIRECTIONS
1.     In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
2.     Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3.     During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
4.     At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

On days I know I am going to be busy, I try to prep dinner as best as I can beforehand. Sometimes that is merely cutting the meat and veggies, or sometimes it's making a sauce. This was a great recipe to try on a busy day. The whole recipe took 10 minutes to put together once my chicken had cooked. Easy! This particular day, I was inspired by the super low-fat mayonnaise I had recently found at Winco. I usually buy lite mayo (50 calories/tbsp) which is 1/2 the calories of regular mayo. I happened to stumble upon a product called "Smart Beat" when I was picking up groceries to make a potato salad. I thought I could at least try the Smart Beat next to my lite mayo and see if I could tell a difference. They were almost identical! The best part is that Smart Beat is only 10 calories/tbsp :) This caused me to think of all the great foods I loved that are slathered in mayo. Enter Chicken Salad Sandwiches.

I made this recipe super easy. I was in a no-fuss, no-heat kind of mood and decided it would be best to make my recipe even easier than normal. I actually boiled the chicken (gasp!). I know, boiled chicken is usually rubbery and gross, but seeing as I would need to shred the chicken and then slather it in mayo I knew we wouldn't know the difference. I threw the chicken in a pot and boiled it with water for 30-35 mins. I didn't even have to attend to the chicken. Like I said, easy :) Then I just used my chop-chop (aka http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-EHC650-2-Speed-Chopper/dp/B00005MF97/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310682430&sr=8-1), and shredded my meat in it. I did the same with my celery and onion. I mixed all of it together in a large bowl with mayo, sour cream, tarragon, salt, and pepper. It was done :) I just needed to refridgerate it afterwards for 1-2 hours and then bring it out for dinner. So delicious and effortless.

INGREDIENTS
3/4 c sour cream
3/4 c mayo
1 c celery, finely chopped
1/4 c tarragon
5 c cooked chicken, cubed

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DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, mayo, celery, and tarragon; stir in chicken. Refrigerate 2-3 hours.

Szechwan Chicken over rice

This is another spicy recipe! Since keeping this blog I have come to the realization of many things. It's funny how obvious things can be, yet you do not realize them until you write them down and see the pattern!

1. Life is busy. It doesn't matter how many recipes I make in a week, I will only find time to blog 1-3/week. I thought it was just specific circumstances that made me blog less and less, but alas that is not the case. Life doesn't slow down :)
2. Rex and I eat a lot of spicy food, which probably isn't the most universal foods I can blog about, but this is really what I cook and eat on a weekly basis.
3. I use my Wok a lot.
4. I am horrible at taking pictures (not exactly a new revelation!)

Anyways, our family has been experiencing a season of change. Since getting our puppy, we have been house-training him, dealing with the summer heat, staying involved in church, and making time to see each of our families. Well amidst all these changes, we are also moving soon. This means I need to start packing :)

Fortunately, busyness and the heat haven't prevented me from being able to cook! Those are usually 2 words that equate to not cooking, but I've made it a priority to cook and so by God's grace we have been still eating home-cooking. This has caused me, however, to focus on cooking quick meals that don't require the oven. One such meal is a family favorite. We probably eat it once every 4-6 weeks :) It's Szechwan Chicken! It cooks in about 20 minutes and is a full meal once added over rice.

INGREDIENTS
4 tbsp water
2 tbps ketchup
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp veggie oil
1/4 c green onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 lbs chicken, diced

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a bowl, stir water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, cayenne, and ginger. Set aside.
2. Fry diced chicken in Wok or large skillet in oil over high heat. Keep stirring chicken as it fries. Chicken should be white all over (6-8 mins).
3. Add green onions and garlic to chicken in Wok and cook another minute.
4. Stir in sauce and toss to coat. Allow sauce to bubble before removing from heat. Serve over warm rice.

Macaroni and Cheese

Albie and his first tennis ball

I had to add a cute puppy pic :) Albie got his first tennis ball over the holiday weekend and loves it. I would add a pic of our macaroni and cheese, but the picture didn't do it justice. Maybe next time I'll photo it with better presentation skills.

I love a good bowl of creamy macaroni and cheese. What I don't love is that most recipes require lots of cream or processed cheeses to make it the right consistency. My first 2 attempts at homestyle macaroni and cheese were mediocre. They lacked the cheesy taste and creamy texture combo I really wanted (think El Pollo Loco Mac). So, one day I finally stumbled upon a "healthier" version recipe. I glanced at the ingredients and thought it's worth a shot, but traditionally healthy and macaroni and cheese don't belong in the same sentence. Sure enough, however, it turned out creamy and cheesy without cream and overly processed cheese. I was so happy! This was my second time making it. I will post the original recipe as is, however, I will note that with the hot temperatures, I did not bake mine in the oven. I just combined my noodles and cheese sauce and called it a day :) It was still just as delicious!

INGREDIENTS

10 oz macaroni cooked al dente

1 tomato, sliced

2 c low-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

1/2 c crushed cornflakes or breadcrumbs

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 c skim milk

2 tbsp low-fat cream cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9 x 9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Boil water and cook macaroni.

3. Combine flour, salt, onion powder, and black pepper in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk milk into the pan, add cream cheese. Whisk vigorously, until even and no lumps appear (this may take some time!). Bring to a low boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook about 4 minutes, stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted.

4. In a bowl, combine cooked macaroni and cheese sauce. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Top with sliced tomato, shredded cheese, and cornflakes. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Chicken Alfredo Biscuit Casserole

The other day I was granted a great opportunity to deliver a meal to a new mother and her family. I really enjoy these opportunities to meet with people in my church family that I don't know as well. We had a great conversation and then I was off to feed my own family (i.e. Rex and Albie). I'm a little bit of a daredevil when it comes to cooking. Most people choose their old faithfuls when making dinner for others. I actually really enjoy the opportunity to cook new foods. Like I said, I'm a daredevil. This creation, however, was fabulous! I had so much fun making the meal (and saving some for Rex and myself!) and it tasted so delicious. I made a salad with Creamy Italian dressing, chocolate chip cookies, and chicken alfredo biscuit casserole.

For the Creamy Italian Dressing (I do LOVE this dressing)
Ingredients
3/4 c mayo (I use light-mayo)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp water
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp Italian seasoning (equal portions of oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme)
1 tsp sugar
1 clove garlic, chopped

Directions
Combine the ingredients together in a sealed jar and shake until well mixed.


For the Chicken Alfredo Biscuit Casserole
Ingredients

1  tbsp butter

2  c sliced fresh mushrooms (I omitted this since I was serving them to guests)

1/2  c yellow onion, chopped 

1/4  c milk

2  c cooked chicken, chopped (I usually just chop up chicken thigh and toss in Wok; it will cook in 10 mins)

2  c frozen broccoli florets, thawed (I added frozen brocolli to the Wok as the chicken was finishing to thaw)

1/4  teaspoon dried basil leaves

1  can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1  tbsp butter, melted

1  tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Sauce:

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese (I use neufchatel to lower the calories)

3/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

1/2 c. margarine or butter

1/2 c. milk

1 tbsp garlic powder

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

2. If the chicken is not cooked yet, add cut up chicken to Wok w/ oil and stir occasionally until done (10 mins); add broccoli and allow broccoli to thaw in Wok.

3. In the meantime make Alfredo sauce. In large saucepan, combine cream cheese, parmesan cheese, margarine/butter, garlic powder, and milk. Stir over low heat until smooth. Add chicken and broccoli to sauce.

4. In Wok or skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Cook mushrooms and onion in butter, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in Alfredo sauce, milk, chicken, broccoli and basil. Cook until mixture is thoroughly heated and bubbly, stirring constantly. Spoon into baking dish.

5. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Cut each biscuit in half crosswise. Arrange around edge of baking dish, overlapping slightly. Drizzle biscuits with melted butter; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

6. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

Curry Beef

Although we live an apartment with very inadequate storage, I feel as though I am a little spoiled with all the kitchen gadgets I get to use on a regular basis. Besides my trusty Wok (which only fits under our sink...lol :) I also love our rice steamer. I love just putting it in there and never having to check it. I know once the light turns to "keep warm" it's done and I won't burn or overcook the rice. My two favorite kitchen gadgets combined can make a mean stir-fry.

I realize that this recipe is not for everyone. It isn't the kind of spicy that is hot, but it does contain quite a bit of curry seasoning which some people really dislike. Rex and I, however, love curry seasoning :) We also love stir-fry. It is one of those meals you can usually make in under 30 minutes that tastes great and makes good leftovers. In fact, since we love stir-fry so much I often have frozen chicken and beef sirloin on hand so that I can make a stir-fry whenever my cooking mood is low, but I still want something yummy. One of these days I'll have to write a list of the things I always have on hand in my pantry/freezer. So many last-minute meals are used with those ingredients. Anyways, Curry Beef is such a great recipe and it is one of those staples in our dinner menu. I probably make it once every 2-3 months (which is a lot for our dinner rotations!).

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
Stir-fry
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp soy sauce (I used reduced-sodium)
6 tbsp cold water, divided
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb beef sirloin cut into strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1 sm onion cut into wedges
1 c sliced celery
1 bell pepper cut into 1-in pieces

Sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 c cold water
3 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp curry powder

Served over rice

DIRECTIONS
1. In a bowl, combine cornstarch, soy sauce, 2 tbsp water, and 1 tbsp oil until smooth; add beef and toss to coat.
2. In a Wok, stir-fry beef, garlic, and ginger in remaining oil until meat is no longer pink (4-5 minutes on high heat). Remove meat with slotted spoon and keep warm. Add onion, celery, green pepper, and remaining water to Wok. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add beef again.
3. For sauce, combine the cornstarch, water, ketchup, soy sauce, and curry until smooth; add to the skillet. Bring to a boil (1-2 mins). Stir and serve over rice.

Parmesan Chicken

I never thought having a puppy could really be compared to having a baby, but I think I've been proven wrong by Albie. From puppy-proofing, potty-training, house-training, walking him, playing with him, and disciplining the little guy I've had my hands full. But just like a parent I can't help but love him! His newest joy has been tearing apart his squeaky toys and leaving their filling around the house :) Oops! Anyways, I definitely think the dog has taken up my free-time and thus also my blogging time. And just for your viewing pleasure. This is Albie playing with my mom's 60 lb 6-month old standard poodle. I love how Albie instigates and then runs away...lol. And don't mind his squeals, he is a little dramatic at times!

Two nights ago I made Parmesan chicken with Cous-Cous. Parmesan chicken and Chicken parmesan are 2 entirely different dishes. One has sauce and one does not. I prefer Parmesan chicken to Chicken parmesan. I love Parmesan chicken! I love it so much I probably make it every 6-8 weeks. After all, what is not to love? It's crispy chicken that is covered in cheese. I've concocted my own recipe to make the dish as I always felt that there was always room for improvement in some of the recipes I had tried before.

Parmesan Chicken with Cous-cous

The leftovers in the baking dish. Yummy :)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs
1 c shredded Parmesan cheese (I use the dried kind as I feel it is similar to bread crumbs)
6 chicken drums
1 tbsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
1. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, combine flour, salt and garlic powder. In a separate shallow bowl, beat eggs. In a third bowl place Parmesan cheese. Coat chicken in flour, then dip in egg, and roll in cheese.
2. Place chicken in 9x13 baking dish. Cook chicken 55 minutes at 375 degrees F or until chicken is no longer pink.