Tag: quick dinner

The Simplest Chicken Curry Ever!

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An Indian curry can be made in a thousand ways.  It can be very simple or highly complicated.

This is a dish I made with what I had on hand and so can you.

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Most curries start with whole spices cooked in oil.

Here I have mustard oil ( you can use any oil) with cumin seeds, a bay leaf, dry red chilies and a large black cardamom (you can use the green pods).  I then add a sliced onion and salt.  Stir and cook for a few minutes.

The more you caramelize the onions, the deeper and richer your curry will be.

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Saute the onions for just a few minutes – I am making a quick curry and so don’t brown the onions too long.

Next, I add a diced tomato and key lime pickle that I made (key limes and salt – let sit in jar for a few weeks).

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Saute for a few moments.  Taste the mix and add cayenne if you like and then a cup of water to create a sauce.

Let sauce simmer over low heat.

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Slice a couple of chicken breasts or thighs and season with salt, cumin powder, coriander powder and cayenne pepper.  Add to the simmering sauce and cook till the chicken is cooked through.

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Serve over basmati rice or with bread and you have dinner in less than 30 minutes.

Until I cook again!

SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN OVER VEGETABLES

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There is nothing more comforting than a roast chicken for dinner.

While it is the easiest thing to prepare, it is also the test of a good cook.  When I was in cooking school, we spent a lot of time learning how to roast the perfect chicken and I think I have mastered it.

I would like to share some of the things I learned.

Get the best chicken you can afford – from a butcher or Whole Foods.

Kosher chickens are fabulous as they are treated with salt and cook faster and have a wonderful flavor without having to work at it.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Dry the chicken with paper towel and remove any innards that might be in the cavity.

Cut up vegetables that you like – for example potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, squash – anything.

Season with salt and pepper and your favorite herbs like thyme, rosemary or marjoram.

Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper and add an onion, lemon and herbs in the cavity.

Now massage it generously with olive oil or butter.

Place the chicken over the vegetables and bake at 450 degrees for 40 minutes.

Turn the heat to 300 and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.

Check with a meat thermometer and it should read 160 degrees.

Let the chicken rest on the counter, tented for about 10 or 15 minutes.

Carve it and serve with vegetables.

You can removed the vegetables, add broth and or white wine to create a sauce if you like.  If you add wine, make sure you cook it out on a high heat and finish with a pat of butter for a luscious sauce.

Spoon over chicken and vegetables and dinner is served.

Until I eat again!

A Very Simple Sunday Pasta with Anchovies, Garlic, Fennel and Tomatoes

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  • Anyone who reads my posts knows that I love pasta.

    I love it for its versatility – it takes on any flavor you are in the mood for.

    It is so simple and quick to make.

    It is also very economical and most importantly, it is delicious and I just love it.

    This dish is a staple in my household.

    By the time your water comes to a boil and the pasta cooks, you have a sauce and so a perfectly delicious meal in about 20 minutes.

    Add a generous amount of olive oil to a skillet.  On low heat cook some fennel seeds, a can of anchovies (trust me, you won’t even know they are there and just get this rich umami flavor – please trust me on this one), crushed red pepper and a copious amount of whole garlic.  Cook for about 5 or 7 minutes to perfume the oil and break down the anchovies.  Now add a 16 oz. can of whole, peeled tomatoes.  Crush them with the back of a spoon or sometimes I use a potato masher.

    Add some water to wash out the can or a dash of red wine or nothing at all.

    Add a little salt – careful, since the anchovies are plenty salty.

    Once the pasta is cooked (I like linguine as the sauce clings to it well – use your favorite pasta).

    Mix in the pasta with the sauce and add a little pasta water if you need to loosen the sauce.

    Put in bowls and grate fresh Parmesan generously over the pasta.

    You have dinner.

    Enjoy.

    Until I eat again!