Chicken (and Eggplant) Curry

I have been craving a good curry ever since I left England a few weeks ago. This recipe was adapted from Ann's recipe and directed by Andy Singleton :)

This recipe was perfection--absolutely amazing. The key is to give it time, and as Andy put it, add small amounts of water and keep letting the mixture simmer to bring out the flavors. The amazing thing about curry is that it can change each time you make it (or in my case, eat it because I've only made it once), and the spices aren't really measured but rather mixed in by taste. This recipe is flexible because measurements aren't strict, and you could use various kinds of meats and vegetables to try different flavors. My only addition to Nick's recipe is the eggplant, or aubergine in England. It added texture and soaked up the flavors really well.

Melissa Lowe recommended a spice shop to me in East Grand Rapids--Spice Merchants. It's a really neat store with an amazing selection of spices.

Props to my mother: sous chef ;)

1. Chicken, seasoned and sautéed

2. Sautéed vegetables + tomatoes, simmering

3. Steaming Rice

4. Add yogurt, cilantro, and lime

Special Guest

This week's meal was prepared and directed by special guest chef, Sauciér Extrodinnairé Andréw Singléton.

India on a plate :)

Curry
Serves 4

• 4 Chicken Thighs


• 1 Cup of Rice


• 2 or 3 Naan Breads


• 3 Cloves of Garlic


• 3 Onions


• 2 Cans of Chopped Tomatoes


• Paprika


• Curry Powder


• Cup of water


• Mushrooms


• Tomato Purée


• Salt and Pepper
• Yoghurt
• A lime

1. Start by chopping the Chicken into pieces, then dicing the Garlic. On a medium to high heat, put chicken pieces in a pan, with Olive Oil and the Garlic. Season well and add a touch of Curry Powder. Cook thoroughly but leave it a tiny bit uncooked. Remove from the pan and move to one side.
2. In the same pan, begin to sauteé chopped Onions, more diced Garlic, Mushrooms and season the mix with Curry Powder. When the mix softens, add one of the tins of Tomatoes. Season again. Let this simmer, add more Curry powder and Paprika to taste.
3. Add another can of tomatoes but keep the mix simmering and assess the thickness. If it is too dry, add a little water and let this simmer down as reducing the mix by heat releases the flavour nicely.
4. Add a little more spice at this point.
5. Add the chicken back into the mixture at this point. Season again.
6. Start boiling the water for the rice, following usual instructions.
7. As a side dish, mix mint sauce with Yoghurt, also chop some spring onions and fresh tomatoes.
8. Pre heat the oven to a medium heat and put the Naan breads in with a little water on each side.
9. Add a dolop of yoghurt, some corrinader and a squeeze of lime to the curry.
10. Serve the Curry on a bed of rice garnishing the plate with the mixtures above and with Naan.
11. Enjoy it.

This meal is beautiul and never fails. Ideal for parties etc as it can be produced en massé. This is a dish we have regularly at the Singleton House.

Loaded Lasagna!

Being in the mood for Italian food, Nick and I chose to make a classic lasagna this week. I have never made lasagna before--it was surprisingly easy and definitely rewarding. My kitchen smells like lingering garlic, tomato and spices--delicious!  Serve with French bread and dipping spices in olive oil (I avoided garlic bread because the recipe calls for so much garlic).

A couple notes--the provolone flavor was a bit overwhelming for me. I would use 4 oz instead of 8 just because it seemed a bit salty. Also, I would cook the dish covered for 35-40 minutes covered and only 5 uncovered. The 5 uncovered allows for browning, but any more than that makes the noodles overcooked (mine were slightly hard because I cooked it for 10 minutes uncovered).

Sauce Mixture

Ingredients for the Sauce:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (28 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 (8 ounce) can of tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced

Cheese Mixture

Ingredients for the Layers:

• 8 ounces provolone cheese, shredded
• 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a skillet over medium heat, season the ground beef with garlic powder and oregano. Brown the meat and drain excess liquid.

In a large saucepan, add spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, and oregano; set aside. In a skillet heat olive oil, add garlic and onions, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Mix the cooked onions and garlic in with the meat and put mixture into the sauce. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Combine mozzarella and provolone cheeses in a medium bowl. In a separate medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, eggs, milk, and oregano.

Layer a 9x13 inch baking pan with just enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Lay three lasagna noodles in the pan. Cover with sauce, then spread a layer of the ricotta mixture and sprinkle with mozzarella/provolone mixture; repeat layering. Finish with a layer of noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Bake covered in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Before cooking

Credit for this recipe goes to: Stylecaster

Meat Lasagne

This was absolute perfection as far as I was concerned, although I had a few slight differences to the version Sam made. Firstly, I was unable to find Provologne cheese (which apparently rendered it too salty), also I could not get Ricotta and so replaced it with Cottage Cheese. Lastly, I used Herbs de Provence in place of Oregano (although it contains it) just because I didn't have any left. The pasta sheets I used were nice, it's worth spending a little extra (as in 65p instead of 35 for the basics sheets) as the result is thin, elegant layers of pasta that contribute to an overall meal that could best be described as 'subtle'. Every aspect of this meal worked in perfect harmony and non of it was overpowering. The use of Mozzarella was perfect as it provides a light taste but sacrifices nothing.

I think the meal was marginally overcooked but only very, very slightly. The structure maintained throughout and produced a nice defined cross section as illustrated above. Overall, a fantastic meal and very easy to make, would be ideal for a party or just for a group. A nice Lasagne with a little bit of a twist.

New Update Soon :)

For all those who are wondering, and for those who weren't, the reason for the lack of updating was not due to laziness or quitting but rather because Nick and I were cooking together in person the past few weeks. For Christmas, I was able to visit the Singletons in England for almost 3 weeks. We had an amazing time with family and friends, traveling, drinking tea, and eatings loads of good food.


This weekend we'll be cooking together over Skype again, so tune back in probably Sunday for the latest of our cooking endeavors.