Quick Chicken Curry

This recipe comes from the Joy of Cooking. Colin gave me my copy of the 'bible' for Christmas two years ago, and despite the numerous food blogs I read every day (seriously, thirty seven and counting in my feed reader), I return to JoC time and again. Something about the thin pages, columns of text, and line drawings are so reassuring; it makes me feel like I'm a cook!

The Quick Chicken Curry recipe is one of the 'classic' recipes, and I think it could use some updating. It's not quick exactly (about 30 minutes, if your chicken is already cooked), but it's simple. The flavor doesn't quite stand up and needs a little tinkering. More pineapple? Fresh pineapple? Fresh ginger? More spice? As is, it's a fine go-to recipe, especially if your boyfriend went on a let's-make-pina-coladas-from-scratch kick and you've got most of the ingredients already on hand.

Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 (13.5 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/4 c chicken broth
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple with juice
2 to 3 c cooked chicken (or turkey)
Salt & pepper

Yields
4+ servings

Directions
1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, adding the onions and cooking until translucent (about 7 minutes)
2. Add flour, curry, ginger, and cinnamon to the onions, and stir it all together as best you can (it should be pretty paste-y).
3. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the coconut milk, chicken broth, and pineapple.
4. Put the pan back on the heat and bring to a boil, stirring 'constantly' until the sauce reduces to a nice thick consistency. I say 'constantly,' because really, are you gonna stand over a hot stove for 10 full minutes? Or are you going to stir a bit, then go update Twitter, stir a bit, then start the rice, stir a bit, then check the baseball scores, stir a bit? I thought so. Your sauce will survive.
5. Add your diced chicken and let cook on low for a few more minutes. I also tossed in (already cooked) potatoes, since our favorite curry at Rearn Thai has potatoes in it. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Serve with cooked white rice or naan (pictured).

Recipe from Joy of Cooking, photo from me.
Printable version of this recipe

Pork with Camembert Sauce

Fancy but easy.

Ingredients

1 lb pork medallions

1 tbsp butter

3 tbsp dry white wine

3/4 c whipping cream/crème frâiche

1 tbsp fresh herbs (marjoram, thyme, sage, rosemary, etc)

4 oz. Camembert cheese (or Brie or other creamy cheese)

1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

Pepper

Serves
2-3 people

Directions

1. Melt butter in frying pan over medium-high heat, then add the meat. Cook, turning once, for about 5 minutes. Remove and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, chop herbs.

3. Add wine to the pan drippings, and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to get all the porky goodness. Stir in the cream and herbs and bring back to a boil.

4. Add the cheese and mustard, as well as any juices accumulated from the meat. Stir until the cheese melts, adding more cream/seasoning as needed. Try not to eat the sauce by the spoonful.

5. Serve over the pork and enjoy!

Recipe from Cook's Encyclopedia of 30-Minute Cooking; photos from me.

Printable version of this recipe

Colin: Professional Food Model

Colin: Professional Food Model, originally uploaded by robyntorkewitz.

a test post

The view from my new kitchen

Jealous?

I'm back!

As some of you know, I recently moved 500 miles from North Carolina to Hoboken, New Jersey. I've got a new kitchen, a new cute red-headed roommate, and a backlog of cooking projects to post. I've settled in, cleaned house, and finally found a card reader to get my pics off the camera and onto the blog. Get ready!

Tiramisu Pancakes

I love tiramisu. I love pancakes. And I almost died when I stumbled across this recipe. Can't wait to try it!

Tiramisu Pancakes
recipe & photos from Ivory Hut
(Serves about 5 reasonably hungry people)

For the pancakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder, slightly rounded, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
a generous pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cups sour cream
3 large eggs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons instant coffee

For the glaze (optional):
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons softened butter
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur

For the cream:
4 oz. mascarpone cheese
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
2 tablespoons maple syrup


Instructions:



Start by preparing the cream and the glaze. For the cream, beat all ingredients together and whip until you have soft peaks. Set aside in the refrigerator. (Tip: this cream tastes amazing, and is what really makes these pancakes. If you like generous amounts of cream on your pancakes, you might want to make a double portion.) The glaze is optional, but very, very (and I mean very) good. Simply combine the ingredients well. Set aside.



In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make sure the cocoa powder is well sifted, so that it will dissolve evenly.



In a separate bowl, combine the milk and sour cream until smooth (it helps to slowly dilute the sour cream with the milk while whisking, which reduces the chances of clumps). Add the instant coffee powder and mix well until dissolved. Whisk in the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing gently until you have a slightly lumpy batter but without any large clumps of flour. If batter is a little runny, add a tablespoon or two of flour.I like to transfer my batter to a measuring cup or something else with a spout, for easier cooking.

Let the batter sit while you preheat your griddle. When griddle is hot, drop batter in portions desired (1/4 cup for regular-sized pancakes) onto the greased griddle. When bubbles come up and edges look cooked, gently flip to cook the other side. Once pancakes are cooked, transfer to a plate.



Spread a small amount of the maple glaze over the top of the pancake so it soaks in while still hot. Continue with the remaining batter until done.


To serve, dollop a generous amount of the cream in between layers of pancakes. Top with more cream, and then top with shaved chocolate, or a light dusting of sifted cocoa powder.

Serve with extra cream and/or glaze on the side for dipping. A bonus: these pancakes taste amazing even when cold.

recipe & photos from Ivory Hut

Chocolate Chip Cookies: The Revelation

You know how sometimes, you didn't know what it was you were looking for until you found it? These cookies are exactly what I want in a chocolate chip cookie, but never knew: soft, pillowy, chewy goodness. These cookies aren't going to satisfy everyone, as they don't have your conventional chocolate chip cookie texture. These are almost muffin like, very puffy, with no crunch. The secret ingredient? Applesauce!

Ingredients
1 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour
1 1/2  teaspoons  baking powder
3/4  teaspoon  salt
1/2  cup  applesauce
1  cup  packed brown sugar
1/4  cup  butter, softened
1  tablespoon  vanilla extract
1  large egg
1  cup  (or more) semisweet chocolate chips

Yields approx. 2 dozen

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk.
3. Combine applesauce, sugar and butter; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes)*. Beat in vanilla and egg. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed until well-blended. Fold in chips.

4. Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray**. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until almost set. Cool on pan 2 to 3 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire racks.

*I didn't feel like breaking out my hand mixer, and just combined everything with a good ol' wooden spoon.
**These cookies are STICKY. They even stuck to my wonderful Silpat mats. Trust me, you need the cooking spray.

By request! A printable version of this recipe.

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Irish Cream Frosting

Guinness cupcakes are the perfect cupcakes if you don't like deserts that are overly sweet. The cupcakes are nice and moist, and chocolately without being cloyingly sugary. The frosting is probably my new favorite frosting - irish cream goes really well as a frosting flavor. It's similar to vanilla but with slightly more complex flavor.

Ingredients
For the cupcakes
1 (12-ounce) bottle Guinness stout
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, plus more for garnish
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
A pinch of salt

For the frosting
1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
3-4 cups of powdered sugar (as needed)
3-4 tablespoons of Irish Cream (Baileys) and/or milk (as needed)
A pinch of salt
Yields: around 40 cupcakes (a lot!)

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the Guinness, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the sour cream. Feel free to sip on a spare Guinness.

3.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet Guinness mixture.

4.  Line and grease your muffin tin and divide the batter among the muffin tins. I lay aluminum foil over my tin, then poke holes over the cups and then insert my liners, then spray. This keeps any batter that spills from baking onto my muffin tin.

I also like the use a ladle to distribute my mixture. Keeps things from getting too messy.

5.  Bake 25 minutes, until risen and set in the middle but still soft and tender. Cool before turning out of the tins.

While your cupcakes are cooling, start on the frosting.

Cream your softened butter and irish cream, and gradually add the powdered sugar. I used about 3.5 cups, plus a splash or two of skim milk, to get the consistency I liked. I also recommend a pinch of salt - a little salt helps tone down the toothache sweetness of the frosting.

You should have enough frosting to cover all of your cupcakes generously - no need to skimp! If you want to mail them to a cute redheaded boy, I recommend the shoebox method. Refrigerate overnight so the frosting doesn't stick to everything, then mail.

Sweets for my sweetie

I just made something really delicious for Colin. However, it is a surprise, so I can't reveal what I made yet. I'm mailing them to his office, so I should be able to post about it by the end of the week!

Care to take any guesses? Here's a few ingredients to get you started: sour cream, powdered sugar, and twelve ounces of Guinness!

And now, things to bake!

Here are the sweet treats I've bookmarked recently:

Homemade Peppermint Patties from Serious Eats

Chocolate Wacky Depression Cake from Savory Sweet Life

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites from Savory Sweet Life

 

Chocolate Cake with Orange Chocolate Frosting from Bon Appetit via Epicurious

 

Lemon-Scented Pull-Apart Loaf from the Kitchn

Chocolate Mousse with Olive Oil and Sea Salt from the Kitchn

Mocha Silk Pie from the Pioneer Woman

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies from Sugar Cooking

S'mores Cupcakes from Bakerella

Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies from Joy The Baker