One more for tonight-- I will get the mushroom soup up after I type it out-- these other ones I have as .doc files.
This one is a favorite. I've served it for company, and as a regular family meal-- both my kids like it (and one of them can veer towards picky)
Curried Chicken
¼ cup sliced toasted almonds
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (breasts okay too)
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
all-purpose flour, for dredging
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp butter
½ medium onion, diced
2 large yellow bell peppers, diced (other peppers okay too)
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp fresh thyme, ½ if dried
pinch cayenne
1 15-oz can chopped tomatoes
¼ cup golden raisins
Cool Yogurt and Herb Sauce
Lemon Scented Basmati Rice (or regular cooked white rice, add lemon rind to water)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the almonds, toast swirling the pan until golden. Remove almonds and set aside, reserve skillet.
2. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour and shake off any excess. Heat the oil and butter in the skillet over medium high heat. Cook the chicken on both sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to dish and set aside. Note: chicken will not be completely cooked! It will finish cooking in oven. If you cook through at this point, you will have dry stringy chicken.
3. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, curry powder, thyme, and cayenne to the pan. Stir to loosen up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and nestle the chicken pieces in the sauce, bring the sauce up to a simmer, and then transfer to the oven and cook until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Note: if the chicken is thin, this will be a much shorter process.
4. Remove skillet from the oven and transfer chicken to a serving dish. Spoon any oil off the surface of the sauce and discard. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, add the golden raisins and simmer to thicken slightly. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and scatter the toasted almonds on top. Serve with rice and dollop of cool yougurt and herb sauce. Serve with a good white wine, such as a sauvignon blanc.
Cool Yogurt and Herb Sauce
1 cup whole milk plain yogurt (low-fat seems to be fine)
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
5 scallions, white and green parts finely chopped
1 tbsp honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. In a bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Excellent accompaniment to Curried Chicken. Use as a dip (a little thin, but nice) or as a salad dressing. Very refreshing.
For a change, try mint leaves in place of cilantro. Other fresh herbs can be used, depending on the recipe and the taster’s preferences.
Lemon Scented Basmati Rice
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tsp kosher salt
1-inch piece fresh giner
1 bay leaf
1 cup basmati rice (Fantastic brand), lightly rinsed and drained
2 cups cold water
2 wide strips lemon zest
freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, 1 tsp of salt, ginger, and bay leaf, stiffing occasionally, until the onion is tender and translucent, about 6 minutes.
2. Add the rice and coat with olive oil, stir in the water along with the lemon zest. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Pull from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes undisturbed. Fluff with a fork season with some pepper and serve.