Spicy Chicken Stew with Basmati Rice

 

Since there was a lot of chicken breast (not my favorite, to be honest) I could use, I basically threw a bunch of stuff together and made a curry-like stew out of them.

I don’t use a rice cooker, and I do measure. Rice cooked this way has always come out perfect, so there’s no reason for me to change the way I cook my rice.

• 4 full chicken breasts/8 half chicken breasts, cut into 1” pieces
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tblsp mustard seeds
• 4 onions, thinly sliced
• 4” fresh ginger, peeled and crushed
• cloves from 1 garlic bulb, peeled and crushed
• 4 tblsp turmeric
• 3 tblsp ground coriander
• 1 tblsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 can chicken broth (14.5 oz)
• 2 tblsp tomato paste
• Salt to taste
• 1 part basmati rice (1/3 cup per person) to 1-1/2 parts chicken broth

1. In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat vegetable oil until very hot and smoking. Pour in the mustard seeds and cover with a lid immediately. 
2. After the mustard seeds have stopped sputtering, add the onion and sauté until soft. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the ground spices and sauté until fragrant.
3. Add the chicken and sauté until it is no longer pink. Pour in 1 can of chicken broth and stir in the tomato paste. Bring the liquid to a boil, add the bay leaves, then cover and turn the heat down to simmer for an hour. Add salt to taste.
4. In the meantime, pour the remaining chicken broth and rice into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Once the liquid starts boiling, partially cover and lower the heat to medium. Let cook for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, cover tightly and turn the heat down to low. Let cook for another 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, turn the heat off and leave the rice to steam for at least 15 minutes. Fluff before serving.

Salmon with Chili Pork

 

I didn’t use a huge fillet, so it’s hard to see the fish underneath the pork.

• 1 lb salmon filet
• 4 tblsp Chinese cooking wine
• Kosher salt
• 3/4” ginger, sliced
• 2 scallion stalks
• 1 tblsp vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/2 lb pork, finely diced
• 1 tblsp soy sauce
• 1 tblsp chili paste
• white pepper to taste
• 1 red Fresno pepper, cut into thin strips

1. In a small container, pour Chinese cooking wine over the salmon. Rub well. Sprinkle with Kosher salt.
2. Roll out the parchment paper so you have a piece big enough to wrap the fish in. 
3. Put the fish on the parchment paper. Put the ginger and whole scallion stalks on the salmon, then seal up the parchment paper to enclose the fish, leaving a little room around it for air and steam to circulate. Steam the fish for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
4. Heat a frying pan over high heat and add the vegetable oil. When it’s hot, add garlic and fry until fragrant. Add the diced pork and stir-fry until lightly browned. Add 2 tblsp Chinese cooking wine, the soy sauce, chili paste, and season with a little white pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
5. Carefully unwrap the salmon from the parchment paper. Arrange on a serving platter and top with and fresh Fresno pepper.

Cottage Pie

 

Some people might think this is Shepherd’s Pie. Nope. Shepherd’s Pie is made with ground lamb (shepherd, not cowboy!!!). I don’t care if restaurants use beef and call it Shepherd’s Pie. If it’s made with beef, it’s Cottage Pie.

• 1 lb potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tblsp unsalted butter 
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tblsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 4 tblsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tblsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed

1. In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes in salted cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender (about 15 minutes). Drain.
2. Mash well with milk and butter, and season with salt and pepper. 
3. Heat 1 tblsp olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté onion until translucent.
4. Add garlic and sauté for about a minute.
5. Add the beef to the pan and sauté until it is no longer pink.
6. Add thawed frozen peas and carrots and cook for about 15 minutes. Season well.
7. Mix the cornstarch with the beef broth to make a slurry.
8. Add the slurry, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste, bring to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. By this time the gravy should be thick and coating the meat.
9. Spoon the meat into an ovenproof casserole dish. Pipe or spoon on the mashed potato to cover.
10. Heat oven to 400 degrees and cook for 25-30 mins, or until the topping is golden.

Colcannon

 

No corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day: I decided to make colcannon instead.

• 1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for serving
• 1/2 pound chopped kale
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup milk 

1. Put the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water by at least an inch. 
2. Add salt, and bring to a boil. 
3. Boil until the potatoes are fork tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain in a colander.
4. Return the pot to the stove and set over medium-high heat. 
5. Melt the butter in the pot and once it's hot, add the kale.
6. Cook the kale for 3-4 minutes, or until the leaves are wilted and have given off some of their water. 
7. Add the scallion and cook 1 minute more.
8. Pour in the milk, mix well, and add the potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium. 
9. Use a fork or potato masher and mash the potatoes, mixing them up with the greens. 
10. Add salt to taste and serve hot, with a knob of butter in the center.

Caldo Verde

 

Today’s weather was soup weather. We had potatoes, kale, and spicy sausage. That called for Caldo Verde.

• 6 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut to 1/4" dice, submersed in cold water until ready to use
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 8 oz spicy sausage (cooked according to package instructions if necessary), thinly sliced
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped 
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
• 4 cups of water
• 8oz kale leaves, finely shredded
• Salt to taste

1. Sauté the chopped onion until translucent. 
2. Add the chopped garlic and cook one more minute.
3. Drain the diced potatoes and stir into the pan, cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the water and simmer the potatoes covered for 20 minutes.
4. Add the shredded kale. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer covered for 15 minutes. 
5. Add the cooked sausage and let it heat through.
6. Add salt to taste.

Curried Cod over Spaghetti

 

This was seriously just thrown together based on what was already available.

• 1 lb. fish fillet (I used cod)
• seasoned salt
• curry powder (I used Jamaican curry powder)
• 1/2 lb. spaghetti (cooked according to package instructions, rinsed in cold water and drained)
• 1 cup tomato sauce

1. Liberally season cod fillet with seasoned salt and curry powder on both sides.
2. Heat olive oil in frying pan. Sear fish fillets on both sides. 
3. Add tomato sauce and lower the heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. 
4. Take the fish out and toss the spaghetti in the sauce.
5. Plate the spaghetti and top with cod fillets. Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley on top (I didn’t have any).

Ground Beef Skewers

 

I had too much ground beef left over and couldn’t decide what to do with it. There’s hamburger or spaghetti meat sauce, I suppose. 

I thought, why not make something similar to seekh kebabs out of it instead?

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 cup soaked stale bread crumbs
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 4 tblsp seasoned salt
• 2 tblsp vegetable oil
• 2 tblsp ginger paste
• 2 tblsp minced garlic
• 1 tblsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1. Soak 12 10-12” bamboo skewers for two hours.
2. Squeeze out the liquid from the soaked bread crumbs. Mix with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. The mixture should be wet enough to form meatballs but not too wet that liquid comes out when squeezed. If the mixture is too dry, add an egg. If it is too wet, squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
3. Divide into 12 portions. Form each one around a bamboo skewer no more than halfway along the length. Grill or broil until done.
4. Serve with sambal olek/salsa/pico de gallo and small salad. I did a sambal olek/agave syrup mix.