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Green Chicken Curry

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What is curry? To most Indians, it’s a disappointingly general word made up by the British. To most Americans, it encompasses pretty much any saucy, spicy Indian dish. Whatever it is, it’s splendorous to us. Whether we’re talking Indian, Thai, or any other southern Asian food, if the word “curry” appears in the title, chances are we’ll love it. We especially enjoy a green curry rich in cilantro and mint, a variety of onions and an array of warm spices. For this Green Chicken Curry by Aarti Sequiera, you’ll make a fragrant masala (a mix of spices, sometimes as a thick paste) of the aforementioned herbs and onions, as well as ginger. Caramelized shallots and toasted spices join the masala to yield a thick, earthy sauce in which you’ll stew some chicken thighs till tender. Cooling yogurt lends a slightly tart and rich finish. Toast some naan or lavash and use it as a grabber to convey this gratifying dish to your lips.

There’s nothing quite like caramelized onions, and delicate shallots are even more exquisite:

Tip (unsponsored): We love getting our spices in the bulk section of Sprouts because we can buy just a small amount of those that we don’t use very often, as opposed to buying an entire jar that will surely expire long before we’ve used even half. Also, we recently noticed that our local Kroger store (Ralph’s here in SoCal, Fry’s in AZ) is now carrying little green boxes of spices, maybe 2 teaspoons or so of spice in a box. Brand name is “Spicely,” so keep an eye out for that as well to avoid waste.

Have your kids help you tear herbs, dump spices, and stir. As you prepare and enjoy this dish with those you love, teach them a few things about some of the ingredients:

  • Cilantro has lots of vitamin A, which helps your kidneys stay healthy.
  • Turmeric has curcumin, which can help with inflammation.
  • Coriander provides your body with fatty acids that help you digest food properly.

Simmering chicken thighs in this abundance of spices, herbs, and onions means that they will absorb and be tenderized by all of these warm flavors:

Let’s learn a few things about India and her people:

  • Many children in India have jobs to help contribute money to their families.
  • Many households consist of brothers, plus their wives and children.
  • Indians eat an unleavened bread that they cook on a griddle and brush with butter or oil called chapati.

From: Green Chicken Curry

Green Chicken Curry
 
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Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 small bunches cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, 1½ cups
  • 1 bunch fresh mint, leaves, coarsely chopped, 1½ cups
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1½-inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup water, plus 1½ cups
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 1¾ pounds, halved
  • ½ teaspoon malt vinegar
  • ¼ cup plain whole milk yogurt, whisked until smooth
  • Cooked basmati rice or warm naan bread, for serving
Instructions
  1. Add the cilantro, mint, red onion, garlic, ginger, and salt, and pepper, to taste, to a food processor or blender. Puree on high until smooth. With the processor running, add about ¼ cup water, and blend until the mixture is the consistency of a thick paste, a.k.a. "masala". Set aside.
  2. In a large pot or deep skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until golden brown.
  3. Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds. Pour the masala mixture into skillet and cook, stirring often until it deepens in color and aroma. You'll know it's ready when it looks shiny, little droplets of oil will appear on the surface, and the masala will hold together as a cohesive mass.
  4. Add the chicken, coating every piece in the masala and stirring often. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, so that the masala really adheres to the chicken. Add about 1½ cups water, just enough to cover the chicken, and the vinegar. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is tender and sauce has thickened slightly, about 20 to 25 minutes.
  5. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the yogurt. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Transfer the mixture to a serving dish and serve over rice or with warm naan bread.

 

Roast Chicken with Spring Vegetables

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If you make nothing else from this blog ever, make this. The beauty, flavor, and simplicity of this Roast Chicken with Spring Vegetables lands it in our top 5 favorite dinners. Despite a short ingredients list of chicken, lemon, olive oil, potatoes, radishes, scallions, carrots, and dill, this is a sheet-pan meal abundant with a brilliant rainbow of colors and fresh, dynamic succulence. It feels both refined and rustic, and is an excellent choice when having people over for dinner because there is very little prep work – and what prep work there is can be done beforehand so you only need to dump vegetables on your sheet pan and set it to roast. The best part of this meal is dipping some peasant bread in the pan juices it yields. Give this vivid show-stopper a go this spring.

Tips (unsponsored): We love the small bunches of rainbow carrots with stems that we find at Sprouts. No need to peel them, just trim the stems (not all the way – a little stem is charming) and wipe the dirt from the base of the stems. Trader Joe’s offers bags of peeled, colorful carrots – no cleaning or trimming required. We also love to use small radishes – they tend to be sweeter. Be sure and cut your vegetables small enough to allow them to become very tender during the approximately 20 minutes they will roast (we halve our carrots, quarter our radishes, and halve our small fingerlings). Allowing your vegetables to become very tender will render the most delicious pan juices (see below).

If you are doubling this recipe, add about 7 minutes to the cook time after you add the vegetables, use the “convection” setting of your oven, and rotate your two pans half-way through baking during both oven sessions.

Fresh lemon juice and dill lend some delicate magic:

    

Are you noticing these pan juices? It’s hard to describe this heavenly run-off that is a product of the roasted chicken and vegetables along with olive oil, lemon, dill, salt and pepper:

If you like your chicken skin extra crispy, simply prep your chicken as directed, place it on your sheet pan, but before drizzling with olive oil and lemon, leave it (uncovered) in your fridge for a few hours (or all day). Pick up with drizzling with oil & lemon and bake. This will dry out the skin a bit, allowing it to crisp up more during roasting. Don’t worry, your chicken will still be moist and succulent.

This recipe calls for chicken quarters, but we use thighs, drumsticks, and (sometimes) wings because they are a little more widely available.

Here’s the best part of this dish: dipping your toasted peasant bread in the pan juices. Make sure and grab a tender, roasted radish with your bread when you go in for a dip in the pan juices – it’s one of our favorite flavors in the whole wide world. Incidentally, raw radishes are pungent and not a widely-loved flavor. Roasted radishes are a very different story – trust us on this.

It truly is a striking meal to place before those you love:

As you prepare and enjoy this dish with those you love, teach them a few things about some of the ingredients:

  • It is said that dill can help relieve insomnia.
  • Carrots are one of the best things to eat to prevent heart disease.
  • Radishes can help clean out your digestive system and get rid of viruses.

Adapted slightly from: Roast Chicken with Spring Vegetables

Roast Chicken with Spring Vegetables
 
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Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Est. Cost: $14
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 3½ pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken quarters (or a combination of thighs and drumsticks)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound fingerling or other small potatoes
  • 2 bunches radishes
  • 1 bunch scallions
  • 1 bunch baby carrots
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
  • Toasted peasant bread (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Pat the chicken dry. Season generously with salt and pepper, then place skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Squeeze ½ lemon over the chicken and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast 15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, cut the potatoes in half, the radishes in quarters, and cut the scallions into thirds. Toss the potatoes, radishes, carrots and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl; season generously with salt and pepper.
  3. Remove the chicken from the oven and scatter the vegetables around it. Continue to roast until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is golden and cooked through, about 17 - 20 more minutes. *If your chicken in done but your vegetables aren't very tender, remove your chicken and continue to roast your vegetables till they are very tender, then replace the chicken. Squeeze the remaining ½ lemon over the chicken and vegetables. Top with the dill and season with salt, if needed.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 569 Fat: 31 g Saturated fat: 7 g Carbohydrates: 27 g Sodium: 655 mg Fiber: 5 g Protein: 44 g Cholesterol: 132 mg

 

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

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baked sweet and sour chicken on platter-1

See all the color on this chicken skin? That’s the color of flavor, friends. This Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken is succulent AND healthful, thanks to some gorgeous bell peppers and scallions. Pause – have you ever roasted scallions? Let us tell you that something dreamy happens to them in the oven as they become unbelievably sweet and tender. Speaking of dreamy, we love chicken thighs and they are the juicy stars of this Asian-inspired dish. With only 542 calories per serving, 20 minutes prep time, and a price tag of about $10, your loved ones will thank you heartily for this new, rustic chicken dish that isn’t heavy.

Tips (unsponsored): Using the cheapest preserves you can find works just fine here. We love the “Gold Label” balsamic vinegar we find at Trader Joe’s because it is inexpensive and it doesn’t have that bitter aftertaste that most balsamic’s on the cheap side have. We suggest using Thai Jasmine or Basmati rice for this dish.

baked sweet and sour chicken -1

Have your kids help you make the sweet-and-sour-sauce. As you prepare and enjoy this dish with those you love, teach them a few things about the ingredients:

  • Bell peppers offer important vitamins that help to keep you from getting sick, like vitamins C and E.
  • Ginger can really help keep you from feeling too gassy (tee-hee-hee).
  • Scallions help keep your blood from forming bad clots.

baked sweet and sour chicken veggies-1

Since Sweet-and-Sour Chicken is usually served in Chinese restaurants, let’s learn a few things about China and it’s people:

  • Just like taking math and science, Chinese kids also have classes about learning to be moral people.
  • The Chinese love to play checkers and chess.
  • Chinese kids usually go to school from 7:30-5:00 and have 2 hours for lunch.

baked sweet and sour chicken collage

Adapted slightly from: Baked Sweet-And-Sour Chicken

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
 
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Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Est. Cost: $10
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons orange marmalade or apricot preserves
  • 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 1 -inch piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • Large pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 2 bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow), quartered lengthwise
  • 2 bunches scallions, cut into 3-inch pieces
  • 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (3 to 3¾ pounds)
  • Cooked white rice, for serving (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Make the sweet-and-sour sauce: Whisk the ketchup, marmalade, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and cayenne in a small bowl. Put the bell peppers and scallions on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons of the prepared sauce, 1½ teaspoons olive oil and a pinch of salt.
  2. Heat the remaining 1½ teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt. Working in batches, add the chicken to the skillet skin-side down and cook, undisturbed, until the skin is golden and slightly crisp, 4-8 minutes. Place skin-side up on the baking sheet with the vegetables.
  3. Brush the chicken with half of the remaining sweet-and-sour sauce. Bake until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165 degrees F, start checking at 20 minutes. Divide the chicken and vegetables among plates. Serve with rice and the remaining sauce.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 542 Fat: 32 g Saturated fat: 8 g Carbohydrates: 16 g Sodium: 618 mg Fiber: 2 g Protein: 47 g Cholesterol: 168 mg

 

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

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Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry-1

We cook a lot of Asian dishes and it is really nice to have a wide variety of stir-fry recipes on-hand to make so it doesn’t feel too redundant. This noodle dish is straightforward and a great one to have in your rotation of stir-frys because it is easy to like, even for picky eaters. Don’t be scared off by the fish sauce, which doesn’t smell amazing straight from the bottle but blends in beautifully with the other ingredients, resulting in a great traditional stir-fry flavor. If you like eating stir-frys at restaurants, then trust us – chances are pretty high that there is fish sauce in your favorites. The chicken called for here are thighs – our favorite – and ends up nice and moist and covered in flavor. The red chilis bring a touch of heat and that fresh “something extra.” This dish is done in 30 minutes and is low in calories.

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry ingredients - 1

Tip (unsponsored): We love fresno chilis and they are almost always available at our local Walmart.

Have your kids help you cut the broccoli and scallions (with supervision). As you prepare and enjoy this meal with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits of some of the ingredients:

  • Fresno chilis can help speed up your metabolism a bit, helping you have a healthy weight.
  • Cilantro has lots of vitamin A, which helps your kidneys stay healthy.
  • Garlic helps your body have healthy blood flow.

This dish isn’t necessarily Chinese, but let’s learn a few facts about China and it’s people:

  • Chinese kids usually wear uniforms to school.
  • Just like taking math and science, Chinese kids also have classes about learning to be a moral person.
  • The Chinese love to play checkers and chess.

Adapted from: Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry
 
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Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Est. Cost: $10
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 bunch broccoli (about 1 pound), cut into florets
  • 1 8 -ounce package rice noodles
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into ½-inch chunks
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 red chile pepper (such as Fresno), seeded and sliced (optional)
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, plus more for topping
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for topping
  • Soy sauce, to season
Instructions
  1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a large bowl. Add the rice noodles to the water and return to a boil. Remove from the heat and let soak while you prepare the chicken, stirring occasionally.
  2. Combine the sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Cook, undisturbed, until the mixture is dark amber, about 3 minutes. Carefully stir in the vegetable oil and garlic and cook until the garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and fish sauce and cook, stirring, until the chicken is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chile pepper, cilantro and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
  3. Drain the noodles and add to the bowl with the broccoli. Add the scallions and chicken and toss. Add soy sauce to taste and toss. Divide among plates and top with more cilantro and scallions.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 435 Fat: 6 g Saturated fat: 2 g Carbohydrates: 63 g Sodium: 573 mg Fiber: 3 g Protein: 27 g Cholesterol: 94 mg

 

Caribbean Chicken Roti

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Caribbean Chicken Roti-1

A roti is a curried stew, usually wrapped in some sort of flatbread (or roti). Sound interesting? What if we told you that this is one of the most flavorful dishes we’ve made in a while? More interested? And here’s the kicker: it’s a one-pot meal. You’re in, right? This is SO good and fun to eat. The thing we love about Caribbean food is that it’s a cool fusion of a few cuisine’s, like African, Indian, Asian, and Spanish, and you see some of those influences in these ingredients: curry powder, allspice, coconut milk, a hot pepper (or chose a mild one if you don’t love heat), and lavash bread. The chicken thighs turn out super tender and full of the flavors of those wonderful spices. You will be so happy with the heartiness and exotic feel of this awesome dish.

Caribbean Chicken Roti ingredients - 1

Tip (unsponsored): We buy our wheat lavash at Trader Joe’s, but we’ve seen it at other markets, like Sprouts. Make sure your coconut milk is unsweetened, as this dish has the perfect amount of sweetness as it is.

Have your children help you combine the spices, giving them the opportunity to inhale deeply and enjoy the interesting scents. This helps to make memories with your children and they will remember this fun time with you as they smell these scents later in life. As you prepare and enjoy this meal with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits of some of the ingredients:

  • Peas contain folate, which can help prevent obesity.
  • Allspice can help your body from becoming inflamed.
  • Coconut milk has lots of fiber, which helps keep the sugars in your blood at a healthy level.

A few facts about the Caribbean and it’s people:

  • The Caribbean is made up of several hundreds of islands, but people on live on a few of them.
  • Part of the movie series “Pirates of the Caribbean” were actually filmed in the Caribbean.
  • There are tons of churches in Jamaica, which is part of the Caribbean.

Adapted from Caribbean Chicken Roti

Caribbean Chicken Roti
 
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Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Est. Cost: $14
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1½ teaspoons curry powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, plus 3 sprigs
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1½ pounds), quartered
  • 1 13 .5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk (do not shake)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for topping
  • ½ serrano chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 10 -ounce package lavash flatbread (5 pieces)
  • 2 cups frozen peas and carrots, thawed
Instructions
  1. Combine the curry powder, allspice, chopped thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat; set aside.
  2. Skim 2 tablespoons of the solid cream off the top of the coconut milk; transfer to a large Dutch oven or pot and melt over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning, until browned, about 5 minutes; transfer to a plate.
  3. Add the onion, garlic, cilantro, chile and thyme sprigs to the pot and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot along with ¼ cup water; stir. Add the coconut milk (including any remaining coconut cream from the can). Tear 1 lavash into small pieces; add to the pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and cook until thickened, about 15 minutes.
  4. Just before serving, warm the remaining lavash in the microwave. Remove the thyme sprigs from the pot and stir in the peas and carrots. Cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with cilantro and serve with the remaining lavash.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 615 Fat: 29 g Saturated fat: 20 g Carbohydrates: 49 g Sodium: 1,045 mg Fiber: 8 g Protein: 44 g Cholesterol: 141 mg

 

Chicken with Cacciatore Sauce

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chicken with cacciatore sauce-1

Talk about impressive – this dish will score you major points in the presentation AND flavor categories. If you pat the chicken thighs nice and dry with paper towels before roasting, they end up the most beautiful golden brown, and the skin is absolutely crisp and delicious while the chicken underneath stays super juicy… If only it were more acceptable in this country for women to have plump, juicy thighs like these…deep thoughts. Be sure and serve the chicken atop the sauce so the skin stays nice and crisp – you don’t want to cover up these beauties. Speaking of sauce, this one is so rich and satisfying, thanks to the cremini’s and red wine. The addition of the nicoise olives and brine at the end lends the perfect balance of saltiness, bitterness and even a bit of fruitiness that gives the sauce a lovely depth of flavor. We suggest serving with dressed (olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt work just fine) mixed greens.

Chicken with Cacciatore Sauce ingredients-1

Tip:  This recipe yields plenty of sauce, so we freeze the extra and serve over pasta for a quick dinner down the road.

Nicoise olives aren’t easy to find, but we feel like they’re worth it due to their more delicate flavor (compared to kalamata’s). We find ours in the olive bar of the grocery store, and our A.J.’s almost always has them. San Marzano canned tomatoes really do taste better to us and we use them in most dishes that call for canned tomatoes, but especially those where tomato flavor is kind of the main event, as it is here. They are supposed to have fewer seeds and be less acidic and more robust in flavor, having grown from a specific variety of seed (unsponsored).

Have your kids help you pat the chicken dry and remove the leaves from the rosemary sprigs (make sure to have them breath in the rosemary deeply and discuss it’s beautiful aroma! You will be creating a memory and your kids will remember cooking with mom and/or dad when they smell rosemary throughout their lives). As you prepare and enjoy this meal with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits of some of the ingredients:

  • Cremini mushrooms help keep your white blood cells healthy, which keeps you from getting sick.
  • Canned tomatoes have lots of vitamin K, which helps keep your bones strong.
  • Olives are super high in antioxidants, which help keep your body “clean” from harmful toxins.

A few facts about Italy and it’s people:

  • Italy has 2 active volcanos and both are near big cities. It is pretty scary that they could erupt at any time!
  • There are lots and lots of old people in Italy. Like a lot.
  • Christopher Columbus was Italian.

Adapted from: Chicken with Cacciatore Sauce

Chicken with Cacciatore Sauce
 
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Author:
Difficulty: easy
Est. Cost: $19
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 2½ pounds)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3 slices raw bacon, chopped
  • ¼ medium onion
  • 4 ounces cremini mushrooms (about 2 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 28 -ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes
  • ¼ cup dry red wine
  • ⅓ cup pitted nioise or kalamata olives, plus 1 tablespoon brine from the jar
Instructions
  1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees F. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Place skin-side up in a shallow baking pan and roast until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, pulse the bacon, onion, mushrooms and rosemary in a food processor until finely chopped. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable mixture and ¼ teaspoon salt; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
  3. Puree the tomatoes in the food processor. Add the wine to the skillet and boil, uncovered, until almost completely reduced, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pureed tomatoes and return to a boil. Reduce the heat, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in the olives and brine and season with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken with the sauce.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 499 Fat: 32 g Saturated fat: 9 g Carbohydrates: 11 g Sodium: 851 mg Fiber: 2 g Protein: 35 g Cholesterol: 127 mg

 

 

 

 

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