Turmeric Coconut Chicken Curry

Turmeric Coconut Chicken Curry
serves 6

Saute in a large pot for 5 minutes:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
2 inches fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced

Add and bloom for 2 minutes:
1.5 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Add and saute until sealed, 5-7 min:
2 lb. chicken, diced

Add and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes:
1 15-oz. can of tomatoes, drained thoroughly
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. salt

On the side, combine:
1 13-oz. can coconut milk
1 tbsp. cornstarch

Stir the coconut milk mixture into the curry over medium heat, until the sauce begins to thicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle fresh cilantro on top if desired.

Shopping list
1 medium red onion
2 inches fresh ginger
2 lb. chicken
15-oz. can tomatoes
13-oz. can coconut milk

Check the pantry
3 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. olive oil

Sesame chicken

Via Budget Bytes.

Sesame Chicken
serves 4

Combine in a small bowl: 
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. water
1.5 tsp. (0.5 tbsp) sesame oil
4.5 tsp. (1.5 tbsp) brown sugar
4.5 tsp. (1.5 tbsp) rice vinegar
1 inch fresh ginger, grated or finely minced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. sesame seeds

In a large bowl, whisk together: 
1 egg
2 tbsp cornstarch
a pinch of salt and pepper

Take 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Trim any excess fat, then cut them into small 1 inch pieces. Toss the chicken in the egg and cornstarch mixture (a technique called "velveting").

Heat a large skillet with ~2 tbsp. of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken and all of the egg mixture. Cook the chicken for 7-10 minutes, until it's golden brown and cooked through. Stir occasionally to break up the chicken chunks (and avoid making an omelet).

Once the chicken is cooked through and golden brown, pour the sauce over top. Toss the chicken to coat it. Thanks to the cornstarch, the sauce will begin to thicken as soon as it hits the hot skillet. Once the chicken is coated and the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat.

Serve over rice.

Risotto

Risotto is a neutral: you can throw pretty much whatever you want into it, depending on your mood and the season.  Here's a very basic recipe, to which other flavors and ingredients can be added at will.  I lean toward adding bright vegetables like peas and asparagus.

Risotto base

serves 6

In a deep pan, saute for about 3 minutes:

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. butter

1 medium white onion, diced finely

Add 1 c. arborio rice and saute it for 2 minutes to toast the grains.

Add 1 cup chicken broth.  Stir until it's absorbed.

Gradually add in 2 more cups of chicken broth about 1/2 cup at a time, adding more as the previous liquid gets absorbed.  Stir constantly.  The rice is done when it starts producing gluten and the mass begins to come together as a big, gooey pile.  If this hasn't happened after 3 cups of broth, add more and keep stirring until it does.

To finish, add 2 tbsp. butter and 1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese. Stir until both have melted into the rice.

Tomato Massala Chicken

Butter chicken and chicken tikka masala are two of the most beloved Indian dishes in the US and UK.  They're also related recipes.  This version combines the best of both worlds: the ease of meat preparation for butter chicken (recipe from Budget Bytes), but some of the finishing touches for the sauce found in tikka masala (recipe from Cook's Illustrated).

Tomato Massala Chicken

serves 6

Quickly brown in large stock pot:

2 chicken breasts, diced and seasoned with salt and pepper

2 tbsp. butter

Remove chicken to a side plate.

Saute for 3 minutes, until just softening:

1 white or yellow onion, diced

1 inch fresh ginger, minced

Add and bloom for at least 30 seconds:

1 tbsp. garam masala

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Add and simmer, covered, on medium low for 10-15 minutes:

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

reserved chicken

To finish, stir in:

2-3 tbsp. garlic olive oil

3/4 c. heavy cream

Serve over basmati rice.

Recommended product:

If you'd rather be healthy, substitute the heavy cream with an entire single-serving cup of Fage plain Greek yogurt, in either 0% or 2% fat.

Chicken & Mexican Green Rice

One of the few recipes I have that calls for chicken thighs, rather than breasts. 

Chicken & Mexican Green Rice 

serves 4-6

Season 1.5 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs with salt and pepper.  Cook in skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes until one side is nicely browned.  Set aside.

Saute in the now-empty skillet for 5 min:

1 white onion, chopped fine

2 poblano peppers (or other mild green peppers), seeded and chopped

Add and bring to a boil:

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

14 oz. can green enchilada sauce

1 c. long-grain white rice, raw

Nestle chicken into rice, browned side up.  Cover and cook on low heat for 20 min., stirring every 5 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 c. chopped cilantro, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve at least two thighs per person.

Green enchilada sauce is typically sold in a can, not a jar.  This threw me off the first time I went hunting for it, and I ended up bringing home some sort of salsa verde instead.  (I think it still lurks in the back of my pantry, waiting for a use.)

Beef & Broccoli

Raw oyster sauce has an off-putting odor.  Soldier through that part and you will be rewarded with an incredibly tasty dish that comes together in the time it takes to cook the rice.

Beef cuts suitable for stir fry are very tender.  I typically pick up top sirloin when it's on sale and use it in this dish.  However, because of its low fat content, sirloin is very easy to overcook.  As soon as the meat looks sealed, add the sauce.  And as soon as the sauce comes together, pull it off the heat!

Beef & Broccoli

serves 4

Whisk together sauce:

1/2 c. beef broth

1/3 c. oyster sauce (usually 1/2 jar)

1 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. sherry

1 tbsp. corn starch

Stir fry:

2-4 tbsp. peanut oil
3-4 medium heads of broccoli, chopped into florettes

1 package mushrooms, sliced

salt and pepper

When broccoli is mostly done, add:

1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. sherry
1 bunch green onion tops, chopped

After 30 seconds, add:
1-1.5 lb. beef, cut in bite-sized strips (pref. sirloin or blade steak)
salt and pepper

When beef is just browned, add sauce.  Reduce heat to medium and cook another ~3 minutes.

Serve over jasmine rice.

Recommended products:

Don't buy anything labeled "cooking sherry" that shows up on your grocery store shelves.  Cooking sherry has salt added to make it unpalatable for drinking, and this can throw off the flavor for recipes, too.  Instead, pick up a dirt cheap dry sherry at your local adult beverage market.  The bottle below retails for a whopping $4:

 

Lemon Rice

This recipe comes from the Fearrington House Inn in North Carolina, and is particularly good with seafood.  It can be prepared entirely on the stove top, but I find the microwave makes a superb rice cooker that never burns the grains on the bottom.

Lemon Rice

serves 4

Saute for 5 minutes, until soft:

1 tbsp. butter

1/2 white onion, minced

Add and saute for 1 minute to absorb some of the butter:

1 c. raw long-grain white rice (e.g. Jasmine)

Transfer to a microwave-safe casserole.

Add and microwave 20 minutes:

1 3/4 c. chicken broth

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lemon (or 1/4 c. lemon juice)