Curry Up, I'm Hungry

When I was in college I had a horrible job working as a check out clerk at a bougie market in Fremont. I had the late shift and would often come home hangry and grumpy and hateful of people.  Luckily for my roommates, they were all asleep by the time I came home and I could just make giant pots of chicken curry in peace until 3:00am.  It is oddly therapeutic.  The curry chicken I made as a 19 year old insomniac was pretty simple and based on the cheapest ingredients I could get at the store.  Amazingly enough college student check out clerks are not millionaires.  The following is a slightly more interesting recipe.

Recipe #30: Thai Chicken Curry with Cauliflower Rice

Choice of libation: Remember the makers of Sex? I mean, the sparkling winery, L. Mawby, guys.  Well, they have a great sparkling wine called Sandpiper that you can only get in person at their tasting room in Michigan, that's dry but really flavorful.  Sparkling in general pairs really well with curry. Also it was only $10. Also it was the only booze we had in the fridge.

Choice of music: Celine Dion's Falling Into You.  This was one of the first CD's I ever bought. No shame.  I learned two things, re-listening to this album - 1) Make fun of her all you want, but that lady has the vocal range of a piano. 2) You are not always emotionally prepared to hear a 6 minute (on the album it's an 8 minute) version of "It's All Coming Back to Me Now." I am not joking.

Don't say I didn't warn you...

Is it all coming back to you...now?

I know, I know, imperfect knife skills, bla bla bla...At least when I was chopping the onions, I could cry to the lyrics, "Every sigh in the night, every tear that you cry...seduces me."

What the crap am I looking at, Emjoy? First of all, watch your language.  Secondly, this is just the onions and ginger sauteed with the massive amount of curry.

The recipe didn't specify what parts of the chicken to use, so I took that to mean "cheapest parts you can find at Mariano's," in this case, chicken tenders and drumsticks.

I couldn't find lemongrass, but I actually really liked what the lime juice did to the flavours. 

OKAY FINE, CHAD. Flavors.

We also didn't have normal chili powder but we DID have chipotle chili powder.  Happy accident! I liked its smokiness. 

I've never added tomatoes to a curry, but I liked what it did to the color. Of course with this kitchen lighting, everything looks orange no matter what.

While the curry was simmering I started on the garlic "rice."  You might remember me using this method when I made the cauliflower fried rice. I started by frying up some minced garlic.

Then ran cauliflower bits through the food processor, then added it to the garlic on the stove for 4 or 5 minutes. 

It may not look like very much, but man alive, folks.  It's really good.  Lots of intense flavors and I will definitely be making this again.  

And because I don't really have a clever outro to this blog entry, here is the video for that weird Town and Country mom van commercial Celine did ten years ago.  Please enjoy.

Adapted from http://shiftctrlart.com/

Thai Curry Chicken Casserole (it was originally Thai curry cashew chicken, but I forgot to get cashews...oops)

1.2 lbs chicken - add more chicken if you love more meat.

3 medium apples, diced

1/2 onion, diced - I dice up the whole onion, then freeze the other half and use it next time I need some onions.

4 cloves of garlic, minced

(I added minced ginger, about 2 tablespoons)

1 stick of lemon grass, minced - or squeeze a lime if you are fresh out of lemon grass

2 tbsp yellow curry powder

2 tsp coriander

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili - good amount if kids will be eating it, otherwise add more for more spice

salt, pepper to taste 

1 carton of Pomi diced tomatoes or similar

1 can of coconut milk - read label. They are not all equally good.I like and use this one.

Mince, dice and chop ingredients.

In some oil, fry the onions (and ginger) with the curry powder.

Add chicken and salt and pepper and turn until almost all white. Don't over cook it. Some raw is ok at this point. Then the chicken won't come out dry.

Add apples, garlic, lemon grass (or lime) and the rest of the spices.

Cook for a little bit, then add tomato. And coconut milk.

Let simmer under a lid on low for 20 minutes. Taste. If it tastes "like nothing", add more salt and pepper. It will bring out the flavors of the other spices. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Serve over rice, or my favorite, keep it Paleo and serve it over fried cauliflower rice.