Spicy Coconut Chicken

Chicken and rice is one of my favorite comfort combinations. This recipe adds to that with red curry paste and coconut milk mixed into the pot. I used the higher amount of curry paste, and the end result wasn't super spicy--though it's possible that the heat might have faded. I'll have to try this again, and soon, with a fresh jar of curry paste. I'd also wondered if the coconut flavor would overpower the dish, but it was more of a hint of coconut and super tender chicken in the end.
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Lemon Orzotto

Orzotto is like risotto, but it uses orzo pasta instead of rice. Because of this, the dish is ready sooner, as orzo doesn't take very long to cook. I cooked this just like I would risotto--with onions, white wine, Parmesan, salt and pepper, and a little butter--though I subbed vegetable broth for my usual chicken. I added the liquid slowly at first, and then poured the rest in and put the lid on for about 8 min. This makes a nice side, or it could be a main dish with more vegetables or protein added in. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Grilled Chicken Vindaloo and Naan

Tonight's meal was going to be lasagna, but somehow it evolved to this tasty Indian feast. We had grilled chicken vindaloo, grilled tofu vindaloo, fresh naan, grilled summer squash and zucchini, asparagus, and basmati rice. There were also homemade mango chutney and raita. Mango Chutney 2 Champagne or Ataulfo mangoes, peeled, cored, and diced (they don't have to be perfectly ripe) 1/2 c chopped onion 1 tsp minced jalapeno (or more, to taste) 3 Tbs fresh lime juice 3 Tbs each finely chopped fresh mint and cilantro 1-2 tsp freshly grated or ground ginger 2 tsp brown sugar 1 tsp cumin, quickly toasted in a pan salt In a saute pan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let just barely simmer til the mixture has thickened slightly. Taste, and adjust the seasonings. You might want to double this, because it will be eaten--and quickly. I made this last night and there's only a skimpy tablespoon left. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Arroz con Pollo

In terms of comfort, chicken and rice is one of the best combinations out there, along with chocolate and peanut butter. It's also one of the most versatile meals, represented in seemingly infinite variations around the world. This recipe, based on one from Martha, is packed with flavors--saffron, chicken, olives, tomatoes, and onions--but they all blend together perfectly in the end. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Chicken Tagine with Tomatoes and Honey

We're in Morocco tonight, at least for dinner. We had djaj matisha mesla, or chicken with tomatoes and honey, rice pilaf with almonds, carrot salad, and spinach with raisins and pine nuts. The chicken was cooked with onions, tomatoes, saffron, ginger, and cinnamon til the mixture was a thick, caramelized sauce. Honey was added, and the whole thing was topped with toasted almonds and sesame seeds. All of the recipes, except for the rice, come from Claudia Roden's New Book of Middle Eastern Food.

Coriander-Crusted Pork Loin with Rice Pilaf and Sweet n' Spicy Roast Vegetables

I saw this meal featured in the current issue of Fine Cooking and decided to try it. Week night? Why not? -- and for all that this sounds involved, it can be done during the week, though it would be great for entertaining, too. I've liked Ellie Krieger's recipes in the past, and these were no exception. As usual, I made a few changes to the recipes -- some out of necessity and some just because. I didn't have any red peppers, so I left them out of the roasted vegetables, which I actually think I wouldn't have liked as much if I had put the peppers in (for all that I love red peppers.) I also used maple syrup instead of honey. The rice pilaf was pretty straightforward, though I used white rice instead of brown, but the overall result was very, very flavorful. Definitely let the rice get nice and toasty in the pan before you add the water; it tasted nutty even before I added the walnuts at the end. For the pork, I used a loin vs. a tenderloin, so the cooking times were a little different, but the end result was super flavorful--and it even converted a declared non-lover of pork to the other (white meat) side.

Jook

There are many names for this dish, but at it's most basic, this is a rice stew or soup. But it's not just rice stew ... it's creamy rice cooked in a mixture of chicken broth and water with earthy mushrooms, spicy ginger, and pretty much anything else you want to add. I used what we had in the fridge--roast chicken, ham, carrots, and green peas--along with a few shrimp I picked up at the store today. The flavors all cooked together with a little Thai fish sauce and black soy sauce, and the result was perfectly warm and comforting and soothing on my sore throat. I based my recipe on one from David Lebovitz.

Grilled Curry Chicken With Coconut Rice

Based on a recipe from Food & Wine magazine, this recipe is tasty variation from the usual grilled chicken flavors (which are good, but so is change.) The recipe blends red curry paste--though you could use green or yellow--with coconut milk and brown sugar, and I added freshly grated ginger and lime zest. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs, as that's what we had on hand and served the chicken with coconut rice pilaf (which used up the rest of the coconut milk), grilled peaches, and green beans.

Mango Chicken Curry

Mango + chicken + curry + rice = good. Really good. I fell into this recipe tonight, lacking any other ideas. I'd seen it recently in the Washington Post and was intrigued by both the flavors and the promise of a quick meal. While it wasn't quite 30 minutes, as the chicken had to defrost and champagne mangoes take a bit longer to cut up, it certainly wasn't long for a dish this good. I will definitely be making this again, but in the future I'm going to up the spice a bit and maybe add some toasted cashews for crunch.

Memorial Weekend Cookout

Happy Memorial Day! We had our cookout on Sunday, as our guests went home today, but it also worked out weather-wise, as today was stickier and then rainy. The chicken was a new recipe, marinated and then grilled in a homemade bbq sauce. We also had grilled tofu for the vegetarians as well as grilled fattoush made with homemade foccaccia, red beans and rice, asparagus, and then carrot cake for dessert. BBQ Chicken 2 c ketchup 1 c brown sugar 2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce 2 Tbs cider vinegar 1 Tbs freshly grated ginger 2-4 Tbs sesame seeds salt and pepper chicken, washed and dried (I used boneless skinless thighs and legs, but any parts will work) Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Pour a cup or so over the chicken, using more or less depending on how much chicken you have. Marinate for at least 15 min or, in the refrigerator, up to several hours. Broil or grill til fully cooked and serve with some of the extra sauce on the side. You can also refrigerate the leftover sauce (not the leftover marinade) and use it another time. Grilled fattoush, based on a recipe from Bon Appetit, cucumber sticks, and bbq chicken Red beans and rice, foccaccia, and grilled tofu Asparagus with lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt Just a slice ... carrot cake for dessert

Happy Valentine's Day

A simple sweet, the rice krispie treat, to celebrate love in all its many forms. Don't look for logic - go off and celebrate, and eat rice krispie treats if you've got 'em. I've also got coffee-caramel truffles, and those are perfectly acceptable, too.

Apricot Chicken and Rice Pilaf With Almonds

The plan today was to make buttermilk chicken again, cook some rice, and some green beans and call it dinner. But then I was looking for something else and saw a jar of apricot-peach preserves, and that led to a search in the Cookbook Corner, and I ended up with a gingery variation on a recipe from the Silver Palate Good Times cookbook. So then the rice turned into rice pilaf, and I toasted some slivered almonds and added them in at the end. The green beans didn't get any special treatment today, but I did rescue them from the certain death they would have suffered if they hadn't been cooked up by tomorrow. Apricot Chicken (based on a recipe from the Silver Palate Good Times) Chicken pieces, bone-in apricot preserves salt and pepper 1 tsp ground ginger olive oil dried apricots, cut in pieces fresh/dried cranberries (optional) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rinse and dry the chicken and place it in a large baking dish. Sprinkle the pieces with salt and pepper, and then evenly sprinkle them with the ground ginger. Spoon the preserves over the chicken and try to spread them evenly -- it doesn't have to be perfect, as it will all start to melt down in the oven. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 min. At that point, take the foil off the chicken, add the apricots and cranberries, if using, and put the dish back into the oven (uncovered). Allow to cook for another 30 min. or so, til the chicken is golden brown on top. Rice Pilaf With Almonds (based on a recipe from Cook's Illustrated) 1 1/2 c Basmati rice 2 1/4 c water salt and pepper 3 Tbs unsalted butter 1/2 onion, finely chopped slivered almonds, toasted Put the rice in a strainer and put under running water til the water coming off the rice runs clear. Set aside. In a small pan, heat the 2 1/4 c of water, covered, til it boils. Turn off the heat, add the salt and pepper, and cover the pan til the water is needed. In a larger pan (one with a tight-fitting lid), melt the butter, let the foam subside, and then cook the onion for about 4 min., til soft but not browned. Stir in the rice and let the rice cook for about 3 min., so the ends of each grain are just barely translucent. Then add the hot water, stir, and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low, cover the pan, and let cook for about 15 to 18 min., until all of the water is absorbed. Take the pan off of the heat and let sit, still covered, for another 10 min. At this point use a fork to fluff the rice up and stir the toasted almonds in.

Hot Weather, Cold Sushi

The hot hot weather is back, making me less inclined to do anything in the kitchen. Sushi, however, requires relatively little effort and is so satisfying. My sous chef and I cooked sticky rice and seasoned it, sliced carrots, cucumbers and avocados, and then rolled it all up together. I thought we'd have way too much food, but somehow four of us happily devoured it all.

Butternut Squash Risotto With Bacon and Sage

The recipe is from Fine Cooking. Simple, flavorful ... delicious.

ETA: Note to self ... don't eat this as leftovers. The sage gets bitter and overwhelms the dish.

Asian lettuce wraps

So as I said, it's been hot ... not so unusual for summer, but I've been trying to do something new for dinner. The other night we had Asian-inspired lettuce wraps, using lots of fresh raw veggies, grilled tofu and steak, and Thai cucumber salad on the side. Or inside if you don't mind it drippy. Hoisin and peanut sauces on the side for dipping. And afterwards we had sticky rice with mango, peach, and raspberries in a vanilla-coconut sauce--not necessarily traditional, but it tasted good.

Happy Memorial Day!

It's almost a requirement to cook on Memorial Day, no? So not wanting to anger the holiday gods, I made a menu from Michael Chiarello on the Food Network. Really this could have been two meals, since we weren't biking through Napa like he was, but it's very good. Grilled chicken on a bed of grilled and marinated mushrooms on top of a spinach salad, and a rice salad with asparagus, sugar snaps, zucchini, diced ham, romano cheese, and lots of other good flavors. He made his chicken into sandwiches, but left the bread, in this case a fresh French boule, on the side.

Chicken with lemon and oregano

Playing catch-up here, but I made this last week and it was delicious. Quick, too. Chicken thighs marinated in lemon juice/zest, garlic, fresh Greek oregano, and olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees, with slices of lemon on top of each piece, for 30 min. or so til done. I served this on top of a lemony risotto made with pearl couscous, fresh feta, and asparagus.

Red curry with shrimp

The other night I made a Thai red curry with shrimp and loads of vegetables. Kinda looks like a million shrimp, doesn't it? I think they all swam to the top to get in the picture, though it's possible that not everyone wants as many shrimp as we do, too. Curry is so quick and easy, but I forget about it sometimes. Combine a few spoonfuls of red curry paste in about half a can of coconut milk. Once they are combined, stir in a spoonful of brown sugar and then the rest of the coconut milk. Add the carrots, since they take a while to cook, then bring the mixture up to a boil, and then let it simmer on low for about 15 min. At the very end, add the rest of the veggies and the shrimp, and cook it all til the shrimp are just cooked through. Serve with rice. I also made a vegetarian version with tofu instead of shrimp.

And now the veggies...

Mediterranean madness

It's March. It snowed yesterday, and the hot, sticky summer (thankfully) seems so far away. But inside we had a taste of Greece, which helped to warm things up a bit. We had baked chicken with oregano, spanakorizo with fresh feta, and roasted artichoke hearts with lemon and garlic.

Jambalaya!

A quick jambalaya from Martha's February issue. I used chicken andouille instead of pork, and I added shrimp because they taste good. We inhaled this for dinner, lunch the next day, and dinner again on the following day.