Cookbook 10/2/23
Easy Chicken Curry Recipe (https://thefoodcharlatan.com/easy-chicken-curry-recipe/)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons yellow curry powder
1 & 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper more or less to taste
1 & 1/2 pounds chicken breast chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 13-ounce can coconut milk
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon garlic smashed and minced
1 tablespoon ginger peeled and then minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice about half a lemon
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
In a large saute 12-inch skillet, toast the spices in a dry pan. This 2 minute process wakes up their flavor so much! Add 2 tablespoons curry powder, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons garam masala, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to the dry pan and set over medium heat. Let toast for 1-2 minutes, keeping a careful eye on it. Don’t walk away and let it burn. Continually stir the dry spices so they don’t scorch. After about 90-120 seconds, remove from heat and scrape into a small bowl.
Chop 1 and 1/2 pounds chicken breast into bite size chunks, 1-2 inch pieces. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Add the raw chicken pieces to a medium bowl.
Sprinkle the chicken in the bowl with HALF of the toasted spices. Stir to mix it together and get all the chicken coated.
Open the can of coconut milk and dump it on the chicken. We’re going to let it marinate for a hot minute while we chop our veggies.
Chop the onion and jalapeno. Make sure you get all the seeds and membranes out of the jalapeno unless you like it really spicy!
Smash, peel, and mince the garlic, you will need 3-4 cloves to get 1 tablespoon. (Or you can use the jarred garlic if you’re in a rush) Peel the ginger with a spoon (it’s the best way!) and mince up 1 tablespoon (save the rest of your ginger in the freezer for next time!)
Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to the same large skillet from before. Set over medium high heat.
When the oil is hot and shimmery, add the chopped onion and jalapeno. Add all the remaining toasted spices to the onions. Let saute for 4-6 minutes, until the onions are translucent. If the spices are starting to stick to the pan, add a little more oil.
Add the minced garlic and ginger and saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Do not let it brown, turn down the heat if necessary, or add a bit more oil.
Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the pan (about half a lemon).
Add the coconut milk and chicken to the pan. Add 1 cup chicken broth and stir. Turn the heat back up to medium high if you moved it down.
Let the mixture come to a gentle boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer over medium low heat. Make sure there is a slow bubble happening.
In a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Stir it together until there are no lumps (add a bit more cold water if necessary). Add the cornstarch slurry to the chicken curry and stir.
Let the curry simmer on the lowest heat you can while still maintaining a slow bubble. The curry is done when the chicken is cooked through, it should take about 5-8 minutes depending on how large your chicken pieces are. Test the chicken by splitting a piece with your wooden spoon to see if it’s cooked. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from heat immediately so that it doesn’t get overcooked and tough.
Chop about 1/2 cup of cilantro and stir into the curry.
Serve hot with Jasmine rice or Basmati rice, Homemade Naan, or Buttery Roti!
Best Cinnamon Rolls Recipe (https://joyfoodsunshine.com/cinnamon-rolls-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-13774)
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough:
1 cup whole milk warm (105 degrees F)
½ cup + 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar divided
1 Tablespoon Active dry yeast
2 large eggs room temperature
6 Tablespoons salted butter melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 to 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Sugar Filling:
1 cup brown sugar packed
2 ½ Tablespoons ground cinnamon
6 Tablespoons salted butter softened
Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese softened
¼ cup salted butter softened
2 cups powdered sugar
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
Make the Cinnamon Roll Dough:
Warm milk in the microwave milk for 45-60 seconds. It should be warm but not hot to the touch (about 105 degrees F).
Place milk into the bowl of your standing mixer, then add 1 TBS sugar and 1 TBS yeast to the warm milk. Stir and let it sit (proof) for five minutes or until it becomes foamy.
Add the ½ cup sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla to the mixture in the bowl of your standing mixer. Use a dough hook to stir until combined
Add 4 cups flour, salt and cinnamon and stir the dough hook, starting on low and increasing to high.
Knead dough in the standing mixer until a large ball is formed. The dough should be smooth and only slightly tacky to the touch. If the dough seems too sticky and is not forming a ball, add more flour 1 TBS at a time until a smooth ball is formed.
Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead with your hands until it is smooth and elastic (about 3-5 minutes). Form it into a ball.
Grease a large bowl and place the dough inside.
Cover the bowl with a warm, damp towel and put the bowl in a warm place to rise.
Let the dough rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.
Make the filling:
While the dough is rising, make the filing. In a small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout). Set aside.
Alternately, you can combine the cinnamon and sugar. Then melt the butter and brush it on the rolled dough, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on the butter-brushed dough. (I think this way is easier)!
Assemble Cinnamon Rolls
Sprinkle a large work surface with flour.
Gently press the gas out of the dough and form it into a rectangle.
Roll the dough into a 24×12” rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
Spread the filling all over the dough using greased hands or a greased spatula. This process can seem difficult but it gets easier as you spread it. (Alternately: if you only combined the cinnamon and sugar, then melt the butter and use a pastry brush to spread the melted butter all over the dough. Then sprinkle the dough with cinnamon sugar and pat it down gently to insure it sticks).
Roll up dough cut into 12 equal sized rolls (feel free to measure and cut each roll to be 2” long).
Line a 9×13 inch glass baking dish with parchment paper and lightly grease. Then place rolls in 4 rows of three, evenly spaced.
Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Bake Cinnamon Rolls
Once rolls are doubled in size, bake them in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. They will rise more in the oven. (NOTE: Check the center cinnamon rolls and make sure they are baked through. If your oven bakes cool or unevenly you may need to increase the baking time up to 10 minutes longer. If the top starts to brown before the center is baked, tent the baking pan with foil to prevent further browning).
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Do NOT chill the frosting. Keep it at room temperature until the cinnamon rolls are baked.
Once the cinnamon rolls have been removed from the oven, spread the cream cheese frosting on them while they are still warm.
Cool & Serve!
Let cool and serve warm.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/toasted_pumpkin_seeds/)
Ingredients
1 medium pumpkin
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Method
Cut open the pumpkin by cutting a circle around the stem end with a sharp knife (knife blade angled in), and pulling off the top.
Use a strong metal spoon to scrape the insides of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and strings.
Place the mass of pumpkin seeds in a colander and run under water to rinse and separate the seeds from everything else.
Measure the pumpkin seeds in a cup measure. Place the seeds in a medium saucepan. Add 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to the pan for every 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds. Add more salt if you would like your seeds to be saltier.
Bring the salted water and pumpkin seeds to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat the bottom of a roasting pan or thick baking sheet with olive oil, about a teaspoon or so.
Spread the seeds out over the roasting pan in a single layer, and toss them a bit to coat them with the oil on the pan.
Bake on the top rack until the seeds begin to brown, 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the seeds.
