Monday, August 1, 2016

Week 31: Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce

The Recipe
(Serves 3-4)
~1lb chicken - thighs or breasts
Salt and pepper
1 tsp oil
1 cans (~14oz / 400g) coconut milk
1 tbsp basil
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ginger
1 red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, sliced
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tbsp cold water

Salt and pepper each chicken piece.

Heat oil a large pan to medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan.

Add next 9 ingredients to slow-cooker (coconut milk through garlic) and stir to combine. Add chicken and stir again to coat chicken. Cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours.

Remove the chicken from the slow-cooker and shred, discarding any bones or tough bits.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Mix thoroughly, add to the slow-cooker and stir. Add bell pepper and stir again.

Return the chicken to the slow-cooker and stir. Cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve with rice or naan.

The Verdict
Almost too spicy for my DH. I think I'll cut down on both the curry powder and chili next time I make it - perhaps just 1tsp curry and 1/4tsp chili.

Otherwise we both really liked it! It needed a bit more salt when serving, and would probably have been better with dark meat instead of white (I used 2 chicken breasts), but I really liked the spices. Definitely something I'll be making again.

Week 30: One Pot Fajitas Pasta

The Recipe
3 tbsp oil
2-3 chicken breasts, sliced
3 bell peppers, sliced (I used a red, a yellow and an orange)
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
4 cups milk
4 cups penne pasta
1-2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded (didn't have any, so I used gouda with chili)

Heat oil in a LARGE pot over high heat (I underestimated how large and had to move to a bigger pot half way through - you need one that fits 5 liters at least). Add chicken and cook until just browned, then take the chicken out. (You may want to do this in two batches in order to cook rather than boil the chicken.)

Add bell peppers, onions and garlic, cooking until the onion is translucent.

Return chicken to pot and add spices, stirring until evenly coated.

Add milk and pasta, stirring constantly to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.

Add cheese and mix until melted.

The Verdict
The original recipe had one full tablespoon of both cumin and chili, but even I felt that might be a bit much. 1 tsp of each seemed more reasonable for most people, and I just added some chili flakes to my plate when serving.

But it was really good! I liked it a lot, and it was super-easy to make. Definitely something I'll make again!