CHICKEN CURRY

I love Indian food! This year, I have decided to learn more about and cook more Indian food at home. Chicken curry has become a weekly staple in our house over the last several months. On the one hand it's pretty light, and on the other it is warm and spicy-real comfort food. There are a bunch of Indian restaurants near us, mostly vegetarian and not particularly very good.

A couple of years ago, I was watching a British cooking show and most of the details have escaped me, but I think someone like Gordon Ramsay was teaching families how to make their cultures traditional dishes. I have been experimenting with Indian food for a while, but one thing I got from the show really improved my curry sauce. Curry sauce generally consists of onion, garlic, ginger, cilantro, tomato, chili and spices. Often you blend the onion garlic and ginger, then cook and add the remaining ingredients. This never worked for me, I could always taste raw, biting onion. So the show had the people sauté all of the veg in oil, I usually use coconut oil, until soft. Then add some water and puree. Cook the vegetables and then puree? I love it! This produces a much better flavor in my opinion.

A word on curry powder-you can buy it in any grocery store, but look for different varieties in specialty stores or gourmet markets. You can also combine turmeric, ginger, cumin, coriander and cayenne to make your own.

Anyway, here's my version of curry:
1 onion, coarsely chopped or sliced
1 couple of cloves of garlic, peeled
1 two-three inch piece of ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 tomatoes (canned are fine)
1/2 bunch cilantro
chile pepper to taste, chopped (I usually use 2-3 serranos)
2-4 tablespoons curry powder
1-2 cups water
1 cup coconut milk (not light) or full fat plain yogurt
2 chicken breasts (boneless & skinless), cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1/4 cup coconut oil

Place the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger and chile. Sauté the vegetables until soft, then add curry powder. Stir to coat everything, then add tomatoes, cilantro and water. Simmer for about 10 minutes then blend in a blender. Return sauce to the pan and add chicken and any vegetables. Reduce heat to low, add coconut milk, cover and cook until chicken is cooked through. Serve over rice.

ITALIAN CREPES

Many of my nutrition pals would be horrified at this meal, mostly because it is white flour and cheese. I would have to agree that this is not the most nutritionally sound meal, but sometimes food has to be fun and delicious and the hell with being nutritionally perfect.

Last night, I made Italian crepes for me and the husband. It was a recipe we learned in Rome and beside being delicious, it is reminiscent of one of our favorite trips. Served with a side of broccoli sautéed with garlic, red pepper flakes and flax seeds, it was delicious!

If you haven't made crepes before, you really need a crepe pan and you might want to check out a video on you tube to get the technique down.

Crepes
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

Stir the two eggs into the flour and add a couple of tablespoons of the milk, stir until well combined, then add the rest of the milk and whisk until smooth. Add the melted butter and mint and set aside for at least 30 minutes.

I transfer the crepe batter into a pitcher making it a lot easier to pour. Heat your crepe pan over medium-low heat. Quickly pour enough of the batter into the pan to lightly coat the bottom. You have to pour quickly while swirling the pan making sure the batter coats the pan before setting. It takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, you are set.

The crepes cook quickly because they are so thin. Once the batter is set, flip and cook on the other side for a minute or two. If the crepe is very brown, lower the heat slightly. Remove the cooked crepes to a plate and set aside.

(I put a tablespoon of grated pecorino cheese on the crepe, toward one end and then roll it up. You could substitute parmesan if you prefer. Place all of the rolled crepes into a roasting pan, top with homemade tomato sauce and bake in a 350 degree oven until heated through. Make sure to serve this with a delicious Italian red wine.)