Curry Chicken (Stovetop)

Curry Chicken
Borrowed from Taste of Home Simple & Delicious, March/April 2008
Prep/Total Time: 30 min.; Yields: 4 servings


Ingredients:
1.5 cups uncooked instant rice
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons curry powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup chopped tomato

Directions:
1. Cook the rice according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle the chicken with curry, salt and pepper.
3. In a large skillet, saute chicken and onion in oil until the chicken is no longer pink.
4. Stir in coconut milk and tomato paste. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until thickened.
6. Add spinach and tomato; cook 2-3 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted.
7. Serve with rice.

The Verdict:

I did not add spinach as I am the only one in the family who eats it. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly as you see here. It was super easy!

While cooking the chicken, it smelled awesome but we had to open a window and turn on the stove fan because it was a bit overwhelming. Once we added the coconut milk, the tasty smell dissipated a bit.

Taste wise, it was okay; it tasted like deli curry. It didn't have the strong curry flavor we've been looking for. Maybe it's because we fell in love with the curry we had on the West Coast and many recipes tend to be tame to accommodate all tastes. We really want more flavor. I am wondering since this is our second curry meal that doesn't meet our expectations that it is the curry powder. I know there are many different kinds so maybe I need to go to a speciality grocery store to find a better curry powder? Then I'll try it again.

Portobello Roast Beef Hoagies

Portobello Roast Beef Hoagies

Borrowed from Taste of Home Simple & Delicious, May/June 2008

Yield: 4 servings; Prep/Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

4 whole wheat hoagie buns, split

4 Tablespoons butter, softened, divided

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

3/4 pound sliced deli roast beef, julienned

1/2 pound sliced baby portobello mushrooms

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 pound sliced provolone cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 Tablespoon prepared horseradish

Directions:

1. Spread cut sides of buns with 2 Tablespoons butter; sprinkle with Italian seasoning and garlic salt. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, saute the beef, mushrooms, rosemary and pepper in remaining butter until the mushrooms are tender. Spoon onto buns; top with cheese.

3. Place on a baking sheet. Broil 2-3 in. from the heat for 2-4 minutes or until cheese is melted. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and horseradish; serve with sandwiches.

The Verdict:

I altered the ingredients a bit to accommodate our budget and likes/ dislikes.

1) Used Italian Steak buns because that is all our store had.

2) Used as much butter as needed because I made 6 instead of 4.

3) Garlic powder instead of salt because that's all I had.

4) Sprinklings of garlic powder and the Italian seasoning because I didn't want to dirty extra measuring spoons.

5) 1 lbs. of roast beef, thinly sliced and not really julienned but cut into strips.

6) No mushrooms because I forgot to buy them.

7) Rosemary was not crushed.

8) No sour cream/ horseradish for sauce (ie. no sauce).

The prep/cook time was NOT 15 minutes, it took closer to a hour and I am not really sure why. Having the roast beef julienned might have made a difference but I honestly didn't know what that meant so I went with sliced strips. Broiling... I have never broiled a thing in my life and wasn't actually sure if the broiling setting needed to be pre-heated. I was so wrapped up in that part that I missed the whole 2-3 inches from the heat so my bread was not as crispy as it probably should have been but it was warm. Otherwise, the recipe was fairly easy and turned out super tasty. The husband and I both agree that the garlic SALT and mushrooms would have balanced the flavor as it was a bit on the meaty side but we will defiantly do this again.

It was also fairly inexpensive... $8/lb for the meat, about $3 for the buns, and $2.50 for the cheese. Getting the mushrooms will push the price up a bit as portobellos are on the pricier side but I am sure canned mushrooms would be okay too. Hubby suggested adding onions to the saute mixture so I think we will try that next time.