Yellow Curry with Sweet Potatoes & Chicken

Sorry, not the most creative title. I will gladly take suggestions on improvements. But, it's been a long day, please forgive.

So, two days ago, I made these fabulous coconut cookies. This meant that I had an almost-full can of coconut milk--and you can't just throw coconut milk away! I looked through a few recipe books and decided that an authentic Thai-style yellow curry was my best bet. But I didn't have all the necessary ingredients, and I've never been to Thailand. But I have been to India. So as usual, I just sort of looked at a few different recipes, picked my favorite things from each, and made it all up as I went. My curry was very loosely based on this recipe from Taste of Thai. And the result was a rather tasty, warm curry that made me feel like I should have been eating on a banana leaf. And again, as usual, these quantities are... approximate. I don't really measure, I just...cook. But the great thing about curry is that you can change it up to fit your taste--if you want more kick, add more black pepper. If you want more of that slow burn, kick up the cumin, cloves, and paprika.

Thai Indian Yellow Curry w/ Chicken & Potatoes
1 not-quite-full can of coconut milk
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 green onions, diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tblsp. sesame oil
1 large sweet potato, pealed & diced
4 small red potatoes, diced
1 tblsp. yellow curry powder
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tblsp. brown sugar
dash of cumin
dash of ginger
dash of ground cloves
dash of lime juice 
1 tblsp. cornstarch

In a large sauce pan (I don't have a wok), heat sesame oil until it starts to smell a little nutty. Add garlic & the white parts of the diced green onion. Add curry powder & saute until the garlic starts to brown & the curry smells like amazing (strong).
When the onions become slightly translucent, add half of the coconut milk and most of the chicken broth (save a few tblsps of broth to make a slurry with the cornstarch), & bring to a boil. Add soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, cloves, red pepper, cumin, paprika, salt, & pepper. When the liquid boils, add the potatoes. Add the remaining coconut milk. 

Simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes, then add the diced chicken. Cover and simmer for about 15 more minutes, until the chicken is thoroughly cooked & the potatoes are tender. If you prefer a thicker sauce, add cornstarch mixed with chicken broth about 3 minutes before removing the curry from the heat.

Serve with rice & top with remaining diced green onions.

I'd post a picture, but I'm on a dial-up connection here. So. That's not happening. But use your imagination--it's a very yellow concoction.  

A Lovely Bunch of Coconut Cookies

A new and exciting trend is taking my little Idaho hometown by storm-- Bountiful Baskets. It's a fantastic idea, really; each week, you order a basket filled with an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables, and when Saturday rolls around, you go pick your basket at the nearest Bountiful Drop Off location. But here's the catch-- you never know exactly what you're going to get. It's like Christmas morning, only with produce. I'm a big fan. (My birthday is in August. Please feel free to give me obscure fruits and veggies.)

And it was through these lovely baskets that we came to be the proud owners of three fresh coconuts. Three.

Um. Now what? And have you seen a fresh coconut lately? It's protected by nature's version of armor plating. And once you do get that brown husk cracked open (I had to use a really big hammer and a lot of moxey), getting all the good stuff out isn't easy. But I was motivated by a tasty looking recipe for coconut shortbread from one of my favorite cooking blogs, Smitten Kitchen (lovely pictures). So. Armed with a butter knife and a melon baller, I attacked. About an hour and a half later, I had the lovely white flesh from one half of my coconut, some slightly roughed-up hands, coconut oil all over said hands as well as my arms, and some flecks of coconut in my hair. It was a battle. I consider myself victorious.

Anywho, long story somewhat short, I grated my spoils, toasted (at 325 °F) them until they were lovely golden brown, and adapted the following recipe from SK. I wanted a bit more coconut flavor, and a slightly softer, chewier cookie, so I added brown sugar and a bit of coconut milk. This didn't work in the soft/chewy department, but I would like to think that it did add a bit of depth in the tasty department. I also decided to top the cookies with some lovely sugar crystals, which required a light egg wash to stick. And now, without further ado:

Coconut Shortbread Cookies
1 1/2 sticks salted sweet cream butter, softened (it's worth investing in the good stuff)
3/4 cups flaked coconut (I used a blend of fresh & the sweetened stuff from a package)
1/2 cup sugar, minus about 1 tblsp.
2 tblspoons brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tblspoons coconut milk
1 1/3 cups flour
pinch of salt
sugar crystals, as a garnish

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread coconut flakes on a baking sheet & bake until coconut is light golden, stirring about every 4 minutes. It will brown rather quickly, so keep an eye on it. Cool completely, then grind in a food processor or blender until coarsely ground. (Really- let it cool first. I didn't & it was kinda hard to get out of the blender.) 

With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla, coconut milk, & a pinch of salt. Blend thoroughly, then add the flour in two separate additions--this just helps it all combine a bit more smoothly. Scrap down the sides of the bowl & stir in ground coconut. Scoop out your dough (it will be a bit soft) onto a large sheet of plastic wrap, wrap it up, & let it chill out in the fridge for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat your counter with flour & roll out a portion of the dough to a very thin 1/4 inch. Using whatever smallish cookie cutters you like (I used various circles & hearts) & place the shapes on baking sheet. Bake for about 13 minutes, until golden brown, & let cool on pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Voila. You now know how to tackle a coconut, wrest it's gloriously rich white goodness from the shell (the melon baller was the best option), & make said goodness into even better cookies. Victory.  

Remember When...

I used to write a new blog post, like, every three days? It makes me wonder how I had so much time/stuff to say.

huh.

A Few Reasons Why I Went to India

Summer Sunrise

I have had a fantastic morning. You know those mornings where things just keep getting better & you're listening to all of your favorite songs & it's just...so good you're about to burst?

 I love those.

THEN, I made the following recipe for breakfast & my day almost exploded with amazingness.

By small & simple breakfasts doth great mornings come to pass.

Summer Fruit Salad & Yogurt

serves at least 3, probably 4

8-10 ripe strawberries

1 ripe mango (or mahngoe, if you prefer)

2 ripe bananas

1 large navel orange

1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

plain yogurt

Peel mango, orange, & banana. Dice all fruit into a large bowl. Add sweetened condensed heavenly goodness milk & mix it up. Let the fruit mixture sit for a few minutes & get all juicy & fantastic.

Divide yogurt into bowls & top with fruit salad. Yes, it really is that easy.

NOTE: This summery fruit blend is also a great topping for yellow cake.

Serving Suggestion: Eat while listening/dancing around the kitchen to Van Morrison & David Gray.

Okay, so you can't really see it, because of the
way my bowl is glowing in such a heavenly way but

it's also a really pretty salad.

Oh Bother

 I have to cook dinner for 30 hungry Spanish-speaking people on Wednesday.

That's a lot of people.

I am, as always, "cooking on the fly." This does not mean I will be cooking insects. It means I don't have any sort of actual recipe, but rather a vague concept of what I'd like to cook & how I hope it will turn out.

Current Game Plan: Chicken Pasta Primavera with Browned Butter & Garlic Sauce
(translation: I pan fry chicken. I cook butter until it browns, add fresh garlic & a lot of spices, & pour it over cooked noodles, red pepper, cucumbers, spinach, onions...& possibly broccoli. Yay/nay on the broccoli?! Mix it all up. Voila.) 

I am armed with 5, yes, 5 "family sized" packages of rotini.

I will be cooking on a Barbie-sized stove.

Think happy kitchen thoughts for me?  

Oh, & desert is vanilla ice cream with coconut caramel sauce. New twist on an old favorite. This is my fridge, already awaiting its debut. whew. 

Orange-glazed Pork Chops

In a burst of culinary creativity (and with the help of my Gooj), I've invented about five new recipes in the last couple weeks. It's been delicious. I hadn't realized how much I had missed spending time in the kitchen! I'll be posting more in the coming weeks, now that my crazy semester is over. whew.

I'm still in Provo, spending Spring Term living in La Casa Española in the FLSR (Foreign Language Student Housing). Living here is a bit like Harry Potter, only with languages instead of magic. And I'm loving being roomies with my Carrieface again.

Each night, our house gets together for dinner. We take turns cooking and helping each other out, and last Wednesday, I was playing assistant chef to my amigo, Casey. He had a recipe for a citrus and pork chop casserole sort of thing...? But we weren't exactly sure how it was all supposed to come together, whether the rice should be cooked, how everything should be layered, etc. All we really knew was that orange juice, shallots, pork chops, chicken broth, and rice were supposed to somehow come together to make dinner. As that seemed rather mysterious, I suggested to Casey that we cook the rice on its own--even rice deserves a bit of independence--and make sauce to pour over the pork chops before baking them. I was completely winging this and cooking for 30, so these measurements are... approximate. And it was my first time ever cooking or even eating pork chops! But it was yummy!

Bon appétit and buena suerte! And, of course, I added a bit of extra spice. And some butter. mmhmm... 


Saucy Oranged Pork Chops (For 6)
That ^ was a typo, but I like it.
6 pork chops (redundant much...?)
3 or 4 shallots, minced
2 tbsp butter (maybe a bit more...)
3 cups of orange juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 of a can of chicken broth
1 1/2 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
dash of cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste

In a large (and deep) skillet, melt butter and saute shallots on medium-high heat, stirring regularly to prevent shallots from sticking and burning. When shallots start to soften, add paprika, red pepper, nutmeg, cayenne, and salt and pepper, to taste. Once the shallots have browned, leave the pan on the heat, take a step back from the stove, and add orange juice. The step back is necessary because this should ideally cause a mighty spicy citrus steam-cloud.

Stir in brown sugar and let the sauce reduce for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, rinse and dry pork chops and place them in a greased baking dish. Season chops with salt and pepper. (Depending on the size of your pork chops, you may have to use a 9x13 and an 8x8. Do not use a cookie sheet, as it won't be deep enough.)Mix cornstarch with chicken broth and add to sauce mixture. Let cook for about ten more minutes. Gently pour sauce over chops--be sure each one gets some shallots on top. Bake at 370 F for about 45 minutes. Disfruta!

Unfortunately, these chops were a big hit and everyone was really hungry, so I didn't get any photo evidence of their goodness. This will have to do.

Happiness. 

& Pasta with fresh tomatoes & basil  & 

spicy browned butter & garlic sauce. mmhmm. 

Rock On

Once upon a time, there was this band called Muse. Behold/listen: they rock.

Once upon a much earlier time, there was my daddy. He's kind of an old fart. He's a slightly stubborn fighter who doesn't give up. Ever. Never start a water fight with this man. You will lose. After battling cancer for almost twenty years, he's pretty skinny. He happens to be a huge Muse fan.

And let me tell you, that old dude can really rock.

This last week, Daddy finally cashed in on his biggest Christmas present from me, and we went to the Muse concert in SLC. It was, in a word, epic. 

We rocked. 

We rolled. 

We endured a random Utah blizzard. 

We maybe might have almost blown the Bose speakers in the car on our way back to Provo. 

We stopped at In-N-Out at midnight. 

Yes, it is the week before finals. Yes, I have four major projects still to do. Yes, I had class the next day. Yes, I lost my voice for a day from screaming and singing so loudly. Yes, this did not help my sleep deprived state.

No, do not have any regrets.

Love you, Daddy. Keep rockin', dude.

This song goes out to you.

[drifting]

The list of things I should be doing
is long enough to wrap around me.
Three times around me.
But the play of the clouds
won't let me focus
on all those waiting things,
waiting for that check mark that means
freedom is one scribble closer.

But they can wait.
They won't change.
But this hazy blanket of grey
is never the same.
I watch it crawl across the sky,
slowly overtaking the brilliant white cumulus
that floats high, shining in the pale blue.
Spring defying the winter gloom.

Beyond the grey,
the clouds look warm and soft,
gentle under the sun,
mimicking the way I feel.
And as the snow starts to drift past my window
while the sun still shines through,
I think of how nice it would be
to watch this struggle across the blue
from the warmth of your arms,
to feel the sun on my face
and listen
as you tell me
precisely why the clouds form the way they do.

And then I'd tell you the truth of why
they curl up on the edges that way.
See that swirl, there?
That's a smirk.
They would look down and see us here,
a mix of white and brown,
blue and grey.
And they'd be jealous.
Because not even drifting
across that hopeful blue sky
could feel this perfect.

Just for Funny Sharing Time with You Things

I have found a new procrastination tool - yay! Engrish.com is a dangerously hilarious spot for a future editor. Enroy!

I love we toast.

 

No you be mean travelers.

Thank you, India, for confirming my gender for me. Now I know why they were always so...thorough when I went through security.
Because everyone knows that the only way to ride a motorcycle is by moonlight. 

 Oh, India, how I miss thee...
Sweet sleepy dreaming are the flowers also.
 
Whoa-oa-oa, Kelsey...