A Lovely Lunch

Why is it that so many people use canned chicken to make chicken salad sandwiches? I guess it must really be a convenience issue, because the flavor comparatively, well, actually there really isn't a comparison. Canned chicken tastes almost identical to canned tuna in my opinion--wet, mushy and a bit stringy. In fact, last weekend when I was at a tea party, I had to ask the hostess if I was eating a chicken or tuna sandwich because I really couldn't tell. I like my chicken to taste like chicken and my tuna fish to taste like tuna, which is exactly why I prefer them both fresh.

Last night we had a rotisserie chicken for dinner, and had plenty left over for lunch today. Stripped from the bone, cubed and tossed in a quickly made curry dressing, along with scallions, apples and peanuts, it was an easy enough undertaking, with scrumptious results. I topped the sandwiches with some watercress for a fresh and earthy flavor, but any lettuce would do. A scoop of this would also work well on top of a bed of salad greens, or even stuffed into a pita. Admittedly, this chicken salad is a bit rambunctious and tends to spill out the sides of the bread, but I enjoy its chunky texture and the contrasting crunch of the apples and peanuts with the smooth and mildly spicy dressing.

Curried Chicken Salad

In a large bowl mix together 1/2 C mayo, 1 t curry powder, 2 T white wine and a squeeze of lemon juice. Fold in 1 chopped apple, 2 sliced scallions, 1/4 C chopped salted peanuts, and 1/2 a roasted chicken that has been removed from the bone and cubed. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper if necessary. Makes 3-4 sandwiches.

At Market....Lemongrass

I realize that many of you don't have the opportunity to buy fresh lemongrass at your farmers' market. But if you do, snap it up. It lasts for about two weeks in your refrigerator, if it is well wrapped in plastic. If you have any left over, it can be frozen in a thick zip-top bag for up to six months. Lemongrass has a light and refreshing lemony essence, but is much milder than lemon zest. It loses its oomph soon after it is cut, so it is best to use it fresh. In fact, don't even bother with the dried bottled stuff. It will give your food the flavor and texture of a grass beach mat. Yes, I know from experience. When you see it in the market, it is tall and has a light green outer layer, which is quite tough and fibrous and needs to be removed before using. You can break off a little bit, rub it between your fingers and smell it if you need confirmation that it is indeed lemongrass. On the bottom is a pale green bulb, much like a green onion. Peel the outer few layers away and cut off the green tops, leaving only about 4 inches of the bulb at the bottom. That is the part you will use in your cooking. Lemongrass is usually finely minced for recipes because it can be slightly tough. If you cannot find it at the market, you can add a pinch of lemon zest, or nothing at all. Most recipes that call for lemongrass are from South East Asia and are strongly flavored enough that they can stand on their own.

A few years ago, my cousin and her boyfriend took a whole year off from work to travel around the world. I personally thought they were nuts. But when her photo albums started appearing in my email inbox, complete with detailed captions of all they were seeing, eating and even smelling, I must admit that I envied her a little bit. This was the trip of a lifetime, for sure, and it took real courage to do something like that. She definitely opened my eyes to the beauty and the heartache of the many places she visited, several of which were well off the beaten path. When her emails arrived, we would all gather around the computer and ooh and aah at the amazing photographs she was sending. The kids loved the pictures of the animals and children they encountered along the way....but I was always fascinated by her descriptions of the food.

Though I have never been to Malaysia, I imagine it to be balmy and hot, tropical and richly colored, which is exactly how I would describe the Malaysian curry that I sometimes make. I prefer to travel with my mouth...in my own kitchen, but perhaps some day I will have to guts to venture out to some of the more exotic destinations that my palate enjoys. For now, I can live vicariously through my cousin's wanderlust. And it's high time she got the heck out of dodge--I'm ready for her next adventure.

Malaysian Chicken Curry

adapted from Gourmet Cookbook

This recipe looks and tastes much more complicated than it is to actually prepare. It is rich, but only mildly spicy...and yes, my kids ate it....well at least 2 of them did!

6 boneless, skin-on chicken breasts (skinless is okay too...just cook it for 5 min. less)

2 T vegetable oil

1 1/2 C chopped shallot (about 6 large) or red onion (1 large)

2 stalks of lemongrass, chopped (peeled, lower 4 inches -light green part only)

1 1 inch segment of ginger, peeled and chopped

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 T water

2 T curry powder

1 can coconut milk (lite is fine)

1 t salt

1 3 inch cinnamon stick

1 star anise

1 clove

1 jalapeno pepper, stem end intact but cut in quarters lengthwise (leave whole)

Place shallot, lemongrass, ginger, garlic and water in a food processor (a small one is fine). Pulse until a nearly smooth puree is formed. Set aside. In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. When hot, but not smoking, brown chicken, in two batches, skin side down first....about 5 minutes total. Remove to a plate. Reduce heat to medium low and add shallot puree. Saute for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add curry powder and stir for one minute more. Add coconut milk, and whisk to combine, then add remaining ingredients. Return chicken to the pan, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Taste for seasonings and serve over rice, garnished with cilantro.

Warming Thai Curry Noodles

My belly hurts...well actually all of me hurts. I didn't sleep well last night because every time I rolled over, I was in pain. I went to my first yoga class yesterday at the newly christened YogaWorks and it would be safe to say that I have really let my very consistent yoga practice slide over the month of December. It feels as if I have been punched in the ribs, and the back, and my shoulders evidently contain muscles that I have never noticed until now. But this is all for the best, right...for my health or something? My husband suggested that if something that is supposed good for me puts me out of commission for two days straight, perhaps it is not so good...

I did finally manage to make a dinner after reclining (painfully) near the fire all afternoon. It was a warming Thai noodle dish, with chicken, coconut milk, and red curry, perfect for a cold winter's night. The recipe is adapted from a book that I bought on Cape Cod this summer at Nantucket Wild Gourmet and Smokehouse. It is called Quick and Easy Thai by Nancie McDermott, and every recipe I have tried has been both quick and easy and delicious as well.

Chiang Mai Curry Noodles

Chicken with Red Curry

2 T vegetable oil

1 T finely chopped garlic

2 T red curry paste (I found it at World Market, but they also have it at Whole Foods and Bristol Farms or Asian markets)

3/4 pound boneless chicken, cut in big chunks

2 C unsweetened coconut milk (I used light)

1 3/4 C chicken broth

2 t turmeric or curry powder

2 T dark soy sauce

1 t sugar

1 t salt

2 T freshly squeezed lime juice

1 pound Chinese-style egg noodles, angel hair pasta or spaghetti, cooked according to package directions

Chinese rice style noodles (the very thin kind) (for garnish)

chopped fresh cilantro

chopped green onion

slices of jalapeno

Heat oil and saute garlic for one minute. Add curry paste and saute for two minutes more. Add chicken and stir until coated with paste and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add coconut milk, chicken broth, turmeric, soy sauce, sugar and salt and stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a brisk simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. Stir in lime juice then ladle over hot, cooked noodles. Garnish with cilantro, green onion and jalapeno slices.

To fry rice noodles for garnish simply heat about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a heavy sauce pan. Carefully drop in noodles and stand back because the oil will spatter a bit. Separate noodles with a fork and watch them rise up. When they are puffy and lightly toasted, remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

Comfort Me

I come from a line of good cooks. My mother is an excellent cook, as was her mother. I have so many memories from childhood of hanging out in the kitchen with my mom as she whipped together fantastic meals from scratch. I would brag about her abilities to my friends and everyone loved to come over to our house for dinner. She was and still is known as being a "gourmet" cook in her circle of friends, and is always excited to try new recipes (and we are equally excited to taste them). She was known in our small town as cooking somewhat exotic foods like curry, and stir-fried vegetables (yes, the town was VERY small). I also had the good fortune of living with my mother-in-law to be when my husband and I were engaged. She is a fantastic cook as well, and introduced me to even more favorites from their family traditions.

So between these two women, whom I consider to be very strong influences in both my love for cooking, and the style in which I do cook, I compiled quite a repertoire of recipes that I would now consider comfort foods. Many recipes are not "traditional mac-and-cheesy" kinds of comfort foods, but they remind me of "home" and the mothers that I love and admire very much, and that is comfort enough for me. These take me back to my roots and make me smile at fond memories of dinner banter and good times with family and friends.

The weather has finally turned here, and it feels like autumn, especially since we have turned back the clocks and night comes sooner. It was the perfect day to make stew. It is a rare occasion that we even have beef, as it is very difficult to find grass fed, local meat, and when I can, it is very expensive. But tonight we splurged in celebration of the cooler weather. This recipe is one I grew up with and is made special by the addition of mild curry powder, just a touch, so that even those who say they don't like curry will probably not even notice it is there. But the curry lends a warmth and depth of flavor that is perfect on a cold night. Serve this tender, flavorful stew over rice, or with crusty bread. We also had an arugula salad with red onion slices and cave aged blue cheese.

Beef Stew Oriental

1 flank steak (1 large or 2 small)

1/3 C flour

salt and pepper

4 C beef stock

1 onion sliced into rings

1 t dried thyme leaves

1 t mild curry powder

Preheat oven to 375°.

Slice flank steak thinly across the grain and place in plastic bag with flour, salt and pepper. Shake to coat meat. Warm a couple of tablespoons of oil in large dutch oven and brown meat, in two batches if necessary. Add thyme, curry, onion and stock and bring to a boil. Cover and bake for 1 hour.