Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Coconut Milk

Rarely do I cook a meal for myself when I'm eating alone.  Instead, I'll have a piece of cheese, a few olives, perhaps some leftovers, or maybe some frozen peas (I adore frozen peas and am known and ridiculed for bringing them to work for lunch).  I can't really be bothered with purposeful cooking when it is just me eating.

Last weekend, Rob was in Boston and I was home alone.  I'd seen Melissa Clark's recipe for Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Coconut the day we returned from Southeast Asia.  It sounded delicious, but we were coming off of 19 days of curries, coconut milk, ginger, and so much rice.  We were craving salads, spaghetti, sandwiches, and cheese.  I won't even tell you where we ate our last meal in Thailand because it is so embarrassing... but we'd reached the point at which we just wanted something familiar (and, frankly, some air conditioning).

The food really was one of the highlights of our trip.  Everything we ate was delicious (well, there was a Northern Thai speciality involving congealed chicken blood in a soup that we didn't love, but we probably would have enjoyed that, too, had the ingredients not been identified) and neither of us could get enough of the coconut and tamarind, the fresh dragon fruit and pineapple, the Vietnamese iced coffee (totally genius to put sweetened condensed milk in iced coffee), and the green papaya salad (my personal favorite).  And by last weekend, I was ready to try Melissa Clark's recipe, even if just for myself.

This dish is delicious.  It would be perfect for a dinner party because it cooks in the oven for about 40 minutes, allowing you time to prep the rice and a simple salad to serve alongside.  The aromas of ginger, coconut, and red curry will waft through your kitchen... and when you toast the coconut and the mustard seeds to sprinkle on top the dish, your kitchen will smell even more amazing and the seeds will make an electric sound as they heat up.  Don't skip making the topping as the crispy texture and the coconut-mustard flavor really complements the curry and makes all the difference in the dish.  More importantly, don't skip making this - you won't be disappointed.

Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Coconut
Recipe from Melissa Clark for the New York Times
Total Time = 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield = 4 servings 

Ingredients

• 2.5 pounds of skin-on breasts, thighs and drumsticks or 1 (3 1/2-pound) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
• Black pepper, as needed
• 2 tablespoons peanut, safflower or vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped scallion
• 1 1/2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and grated (1 1/2 tablespoons)
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 to 2 jalapeño or Serrano chiles, to taste, seeded and finely chopped (I used 1.5 jalapeño chiles)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons red curry paste (the original recipe calls for 2 tablespoons, but I wanted a strong curry flavor)
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can coconut milk (I used light)
• 2 medium sweet potatoes (1 pound), peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes or threads
• 1 tablespoon black, brown or yellow mustard seeds (I could only find yellow at my grocery store)
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Lime wedges

Preparation

1.  Heat oven to 325 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

2.  Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil. Brown chicken pieces, in batches if necessary, until golden all over, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to a plate.

3.  Add a little oil to the Dutch oven and stir scallion, ginger, garlic and chiles into pot and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in curry paste and cook 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk and sweet potatoes. Arrange chicken pieces on top of potatoes, placing breast meat on top. Pour in enough water to come halfway up the sides of chicken (about 1/2 cup). Bring to a boil. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes.

4.  Meanwhile, in a large dry skillet over medium heat, toast coconut flakes until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mustard seeds and toast until they begin to pop, 1 minute more.  Transfer to a bowl and season with a pinch of salt.

5.  Transfer chicken and sweet potatoes to a platter. Return Dutch oven to the stove and simmer over medium-high heat until cooking liquid has thickened to a sauce-like consistency, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour over chicken and potatoes. Sprinkle with the coconut and mustard seed mixture. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing and cilantro for a garnish.

Lamb Tagine with Olives & Dates

Last night, a marvelous thing happened - it was light until 7:30 PM.  I'll sacrifice an hour of sleep if it means the days seem longer, the afternoons stretch into evening without notice, and there are more daylight hours when I'm out of the office and awake.  I like winter, but I love spring.

While there is still a chill in the air (it was a windy winter wonderful here on Saturday), you should make this lamb tagine.  Rob and I went to Morocco a few years ago and after a week straight of tagines and mint tea, we swore them off forever -- until now.   A tagine refers not only to the North African cooking vessel, but also to the dish that is slow-cooked in the vessel (and no special vessel is used in this recipe).  With this dish, the lamb stews in a broth of red wine, dates, olives, capers, and brown sugar, which melds into the most flavorful broth and results in tender lamb that falls off the bone.  The spices used in this dish reminded me of the spice pyramids pictured above that are ubiquitous in Moroccan markets - certainly meant to draw in tourists (it worked), but impressive all the same.

This dish is a perfect main course for a dinner party because you prep the lamb, put it in the oven, and 2 hours later your home will smell incredible and dinner will be ready.  J provided me with the recipe via a cooking class she attended, and I took her suggestion and served it with Israeli couscous, as well as a green salad and sourdough bread (necessary for sopping up the broth).

Tagine of Lamb with Olives and Dates
Adapted from a recipe from Julie Lackner via Sunday Roasts by Betty Rosbottom
Serves 4

Note - I doubled this recipe and had to use a leg of lamb instead of lamb shanks.  Doubling the recipe worked, but the second baking of the lamb in step 4 took about 70 minutes instead of 50-60.  For a dinner party of 6, the doubled recipe easily served everyone and we had leftovers as well.  Just be conscious of the lamb not being too crowded in the pot.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 to 4 pounds lamb shanks (or leg of lamb - I used leg of lamb because the store was out of shanks)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme 
3 bay leaves, broken in half
1/2 cup green Mediterranean olives (pitted is best for your guests, but unpitted will work)
1/3 cup capers with a little bit of their juice 
1 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
12 large Medjool dates, unpitted (J used figs, so try figs if you have then already or can't find dates)
2 pinches red pepper flakes*

Preparation
1.  Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.  Heat oil in a large, non reactive, deep-sided pot with a lid (e.g., a Dutch oven) set over high heat.  When hot, add the lamb and brown on all sides (4-5 minutes).  Remove the pot from the heat.

3.  In a small bowl, combine the cumin, salt, pepper, and thyme and sprinkle the mixture over the lamb.  Add the bay leaves, olives, and capers to the pot.  Pour the wine and vinegar over the lamb, then sprinkle the sugar over the mixture.  Cover the pan tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil, then with the lid.

4.  Bake the lamb for 45 minutes, then remove the pot from the oven and turn the meat.  Add the dates, cover again with the foil and lid, and continue to cook until the meat is fork-tender, about 50-60 minutes more.

5.  Remove the pot from the oven and uncover it.  Stir in the red pepper flakes and 1/2 cup water.  If serving the lamb immediately, arrange the lamb shanks in a serving bowl or on a platter and ladle the sauce with the dates and olives over the lamb.  Slice the lamb prior to serving and remind your guests if there are pits in the olives and/or dates!  Be sure to ladle the sauce over the lamb when serving.  

6.  This dish can be prepared up to 2 days in advance.  After step 4, allow the lamb to cool.  Cover the pot with the foil and lid and refrigerate.  Reheat, covered with foil and lid, in a 375 degrees Fahrenheit oven until hot, about 25 minutes.  We had leftovers from this dish and the lamb may have been even better a day or two later after soaking in the broth.

* The original recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon of harissa, a Tunisian hot chile sauce.  I couldn't find harissa at my grocery store, but if you have it, great!  You can order it from Amazon and I think next time I make this I'll give it a try.

Roast Chicken with Apples & Leeks

We went to a lovely dinner party a few weeks ago.  I envy L, the hostess,  for her ability to make a dinner party seem so effortless and because she seems to have a repertoire of main courses that miraculously appear on the dinner table without her rushing around the kitchen once her guests have arrived.  We've had three dinner parties at which she's made the main course and each time she prepares dishes that require little to no attention and thus are perfect for parties.

I, on the other hand, always choose labor intensive and fussy dishes for parties and typically they do not work out as I'd like.  I also have a fear of cooking chicken.  Is it still pink?  Is it dry?  Does it actually taste like anything?  Until a few weeks ago, if I wasn't roasting chicken, I was likely avoiding it entirely... until I got L's latest dinner party recipe.  

This dish takes no more than 10 minutes to prepare and you are likely to have the ingredients in your kitchen already.  I find that I can put this together and slide it into the oven, change out of my work clothes, sort through the mail, and, miraculously, dinner is ready!  You have to flip the chicken once while it roasts, but otherwise it requires no attention and the end result is moist, flavorful chicken.

Note - this recipe is ripe for adaptation.  I've replaced the pears with apples.  Both are great, but I prefer apples.  I think you could replace leeks with onions, but I love the taste and look of leeks, plus they don't make me cry when I cut them!  You can easily increase quantities in this recipe, just be careful not to overstuff the pan (note that in the picture below, I crowded a few too many apples and pears into the dish - I'd stick to 2 total in a 9x11" pan and you can always roast extras in a separate side dish).  I haven't tried this with skinless or boneless chicken meat yet.  I think the skin and bones keeps this dish flavorful and you don't have to eat the skin in the end.

Roast Chicken with Pears & Leeks
Adapted from Sassy Radish 

Serves 3-4 if you use thighs, 2-3 if you use drumsticks (we've been eating this for dinner and then taking leftovers for lunch the next day)

6 chicken drumsticks or 4 chicken thighs (keep the skin on for cooking) (these portions are for a 9x11" baking dish)
2 apples, thinly sliced (pears are also delicious)
2 leeks, thinly sliced (the white part only – discard the top green, stringy part and be sure to clean the leeks thoroughly)
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup orange juice, and perhaps more to coat the bottom of the pan if ½ cup is not enough
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper (to taste)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wash and pat dry the chicken parts and place in a 9×11″ glass or ceramic baking dish. Surround the chicken with the apples, leeks, and garlic.  Pour orange juice and olive oil over it and season with salt and pepper.

After 20 minutes, turn the chicken over onto the other side and return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Pasta Salad with Melon, Pancetta, Arugula and Ricotta Salata

How lovely it is to be home!  We just returned from a fantastic trip to Madison, Wisconsin and Bridgehampton, New York, but it was great to unpack, hug Forest, and sleep in our own bed.  The last six weeks were dominated by extremely long bike rides, slightly shorter runs, open water swimming, and a lot of nerves.  I feel like I've been a bit remiss where my friends, family, and husband are concerned - there has been a bit too much Ironman preparation and too little fun.  

I'm optimistic that the turn of the seasons and less time on my bike will mean a return to normalcy... and more cooking.  After we unpacked on Sunday, I went to the grocery store and whipped up a dish that K recommended from the August 2012 issue of Bon Appétit.  It still feels like summer here, so a light pasta salad seemed like the perfect "welcome home" meal.  And is it possible that this is the first thing I have made from Bon Appétit in three months?  Eek.

Pasta Salad with Melon, Pancetta, Arugula and Ricotta Salata
Adapted from Bon Appétit 
Yield = 4-6 servings 

A few notes about this recipe.  I made this with cantaloupe.  K reported that it was delicious with honeydew, too.  The original recipe called for mint, which we didn't have - I am sure it is a nice addition, but it isn't necessary.  We did have arugula, so I added a few handfuls, which I really liked - it offsets the ricotta salata and the pancetta well.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta (bacon would work equally as well)
• 8 ounces orecchiette (ear-shaped pasta) (I couldn't find orecchiete, so I used lumaconi, which are snail shell-shaped and probably larger than ideal... but I love the shape)
• Kosher salt 
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 cups 1x1x1/4" pieces peeled melon
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 ounces ricotta salata (salted dry ricotta), shaved
• 2 cups (approximately) arugula

Preparation

• Heat oven to 350°. Arrange pancetta in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until brown and crisp, 20–25 minutes.  Alternatively, place pancetta on folded layers of paper towels on a microwave-proof plate and microwave on high until brown and crisp.  Start with 3 minutes and add time accordingly being sure not to overcook.  Let pancetta stand until cool enough to handle, then break into bite-size pieces.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a medium pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente.  Drain pasta; run under cold water to cool.  Drain and set aside.
• Whisk oil and vinegar in a large bowl.  Add half of pancetta, the scallions, and the red pepper flakes and stir to combine.  Add the cooked pasta, melon, and arugula and toss to coat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining pancetta.  Garnish with shaved ricotta salata.  

Forest seems concerned that we might leave him again at any time.

Egg & Kale Sauté

I've been part of a CSA before and I loved it - the interaction with the farmers, the surprise of the contents each week, and the delicious produce.  However, I found that I could never keep up with what I received and wound up wasting food each week (freezer space is not always readily available).  Enter In Season Local Market located in the Highlands and in Louisville where you can purchase only Colorado made or grown goods like at a farmer's market or through a CSA, but you only buy what you need.  They carry some of my favorite local products (e.g., ice cream from Little Man, habanero pickles from Colorado Country Kitchen) and there are always surprising finds.

Chicken eggs on the left, duck eggs on the right

Over the weekend, I was lucky to snatch up a half dozen duck eggs from Mini Moos and Kids Too, a farm in Canon City, Colorado.  I've had their goat cheese before but never their eggs and the owner of the farm was at In Season making a delivery and talked me into half a dozen.  They are larger than chicken eggs and the yolk to white ratio weighs more heavily toward yolk.  Most importantly, duck eggs are delicious!

I'll eat a fried egg or two on top of most anything - pasta, salad, steak, whatever!  Today I went had two bunches of kale on hand, and so I sautéed kale and topped it off with duck eggs.  It was the perfect lunch - healthy and delicious.  Note that this kale dish makes an excellent side (and serves approximately 6 people), but I think it really shines when complemented by an egg.  If you serve this as a side dish, omit the 4 eggs and stop after the first instruction below.

Egg & Kale Sauté
Yield = 2 servings (as a main dish)
Adapted from Bon Appétit

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
• 1 3/4 pounds kale, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped (I used two bunches)
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 4 eggs

Preparation

• Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic.  Cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add red pepper flakes; stir 1 minute. Add kale and sauté for approximately 5 minutes, until crisp-tender.  Stir in the apple cider vinegar.  Add butter; toss until melted.  Season with salt and pepper.
• As the kale is cooking, fry four eggs over easy so the yolk does not solidify.  Serve 2 eggs over a bed of kale and season with salt and pepper.

Look at those orange yolks!