Pork and Mango Coconut Curry

Sure, we all know it's a good idea to go into the grocery story with a list and a plan. It pays to be prepared. But have you ever just impulsively bought something without knowing what you were going to do with it? I have that problem. I do that a lot.

The last time this happened to me, it was a mango that I bought on the spur of the moment. Sure, they were on sale for a good price, and yes, the mangoes were looking really great. But I can't say for sure what drew me to them. I shrugged, plopped a mango into my cart, and decided to figure it out later.

Fast forward to dinner a couple nights ago. How's this for an idea: Pork and Mango Coconut Curry. I got it in my head that I wanted the mango to be featured in a savory main course dish, rather than used for dessert or even ice cream, as I have done before. I had some pork to use, as well as half an open container of coconut milk. It was fated. I was going to do a curry!

I've never made a curry exactly like this before. The mango, along with sauteed onion, bell pepper, garlic, and spices, comprise the curried sauce of the dish. After these ingredients have had time to simmer and meld together, you puree the whole mixture. Once it is a nice, yellow sauce, you add the meat pieces directly into the pot and allow the hot liquid to poach the pork. It cooks completely through in about 10 minutes, and then you add the coconut milk and just continue heating the whole thing long enough to make it hot again (since the coconut milk cools it down).



I served the fragrant curry on a bed of cooked brown rice, after garnishing it with some chopped scallions. I was hopeful that this preparation method would pay off, and I was not disappointed. The curry was so delicious! It had such a deep, complex flavor. There was sweetness from the mango, spiciness from the curry powder, and a bit of tartness from the cider vinegar. The coconut milk made everything slightly creamy, but it didn't feel heavy or too rich. The pork was cooked right, and wasn't too tough or chewy as I feared it might be. I savored every bite of this, and I am happy to report that even Mr. Picky Pants (a.k.a my oldest son) ate his whole bowl! Sure, he'll eat curry, but I still have to practically tie him down to get him to eat a plain old potato or even a boring chunk of corn on the cob! Sigh, baby steps.

Pork and Mango Coconut Curry
adapted from Eats Well With Others
makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 Tbsp. yellow curry powder (I used 1 Tbsp. hot curry powder and 1 Tbsp. of mild)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 mango, peeled and diced
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
1 lb. boneless pork loin, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup light unsweetened coconut milk
3 scallions, sliced, for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 cups cooked brown rice

Directions
1. In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the ground ginger, curry powder, and cumin and cook for another minutes, stirring the whole time to incorporate the spices fully.

2. Add the vinegar, water, and mango to the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat. Use an immersion blender or a standing blender to puree the mixture; you can leave it slightly chunky if you prefer.

3. Add the pork cubes to the pan. Allow the pork to cook by poaching in the curry liquid, about 8-10 minutes on a medium-low heat. Remove a piece of pork and cut it in half to make sure the meat is cooked through.

4. Stir in the coconut milk, turn the heat down to low, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, until the coconut milk is warmed through. Try not to let it boil so that the coconut milk will remain smooth. Once the curry is hot, turn off the heat and add the scallions, plus salt and pepper to taste.

5. To serve, spoon 1/2 cup of the brown rice into a shallow bowl, then cover with a couple scoops of the coconut curry.

CEIMB: Stir-Fried Chinese Cabbage with Tofu

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly was chosen by my friend Liz of This Chihuahua Wears Pearls (how awesome is the name of her blog?). And for her, I would gladly make pretty much any dish, even one that initially sounded...well, too healthy to be good!



Luckily for us, I was very wrong about that. This dish, Stir-Fried Chinese Cabbage with Tofu, was downright shockingly delicious! I think it had something to do with the preparation of the tofu. Instead of pressing all the liquid out and then simply stir-frying it, as I have done before, this recipe instructs you to marinate the tofu, then bake it in the oven.



While the tofu is baking in the oven, you can assemble the rest of the dish. I pulled out and dusted off my wok, and did a quick fry of the aromatics: ginger and garlic, and I threw in a small red jalapeno I had on hand. Then in went the bok choy (I could only find one large head, as opposed to the 3 small heads the recipe directs you to use) and scallions. Next, you throw in the cooked tofu and some soy sauce diluted in a small amount of water. I reduced the amount of soy sauce ever so slightly; I watch our sodium intake at home and I just thought I could make do with 3 total Tbsp. instead of 4.



The stir-fry is garnished with sesame seeds (I toasted mine for just a couple of minutes in the wok while it was still dry), and I chose to serve mine over brown rice. I am happy to report that this dish is packed with great Asian flavor! The ginger, garlic, and jalapeno gave it a great kick, and the toasted sesame seeds gave it a nice nutty flair. I particularly loved the marinated tofu; I believe I will only be baking my tofu from now on! It was the perfect texture, not crumbly or mushy at all.

I think if I am remembering correctly, Liz is not the biggest fan of tofu. But knowing her, she wanted to try this dish to see if she could learn to love it. I hope you enjoyed this one as much as we did, Liz! Thanks for choosing it; I don't have Ellie's first book and I never would have known about this recipe if you hadn't introduced it to us! For the full recipe and the CEIMB blogroll, click here.

Meatless Mondays: Veggie Burgers with Jalapeno Coleslaw and Malt Vinegar Potato Salad

Last week, I found myself suddenly craving outdoor barbeque food. I guess it's because we have the Fourth of July coming up soon, and all over the place I am seeing recipes for burgers and salads. Still, I have been cooking so many meat-free dishes lately, I thought it would be fun to make an entire picnic-style meal without any meat involved. Plus, I had just found out that Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook included a recipe for a supposedly delicious veggie burger, and I was just intrigued enough to want to test it out.

I first made a Malt Vinegar Potato Salad to go along with my meal. I just love that special tang that malt vinegar has; it's the perfect pairing with those soft potatoes. It reminds me of summer evenings on the boardwalk in New Jersey when I was growing up. My mom would order a huge bucket of fresh-cut french fries, and we would eat the fries dipped in malt vinegar. Huge yum! In fact, it has been way too long since I've been to the Jersey Shore; now I'm craving boardwalk fries!

I made up this recipe for the potato salad on the fly; it really couldn't be simpler. If you like German-style potato salads, which are quite tart, you should like this a lot. If I'd had some grainy mustard on hand, I would have added that in, too. Feel free to do that if you have some!

The coleslaw is an interpretation of a Cooking Light recipe I found recently. I only had lemons on hand, but the original recipe was actually a Jalapeno-Lime Coleslaw. However, I just made a few simple tweaks, and came up with this Jalapeno-Lemon Coleslaw. It was great, but I can't wait to make it again with the lime. I do love the jalapeno/lime pairing.

Finally, I made Gwyneth's Veggie Burgers, and they were every bit as delicious as I'd hoped (but secretly doubted) they would be. The black beans and rice give the burgers a nice firm texture, and there's a generous addition of cumin that I thought gave it a nice Mexican flair. Onion and garlic keep things zesty, and the whole meal can be whipped up fairly quickly. There is a period where you can rest the burgers in the fridge before cooking them up, but I don't think you absolutely have to do that if you're strapped for time. One small note about this recipe: she says to dust the burgers in flour before frying them up, and I understand that this probably helps bind everything together better and gives the burger a nice, crispy crust. However, I believe that the instructions indicate more flour than is actually needed, so I put the amount I think is sufficient down below.

Gwyneth's Veggie Burgers
adapted from Savor Flavor Dining
makes 4 burger patties

Ingredients
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 (14-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2-1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
Oil or nonstick cooking spray, for cooking the patties
Burger buns, condiments, etc.

Directions
1. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic, and cumin and cook until softened and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, beans, and rice; cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the cilantro and mash the mixture with a potato masher; you want to make the mixture cohesive and combined, but don't mash completely. You still want some texture.

2. Allow the mixture to cool until it is easy to handle. Form the mixture into 4 patties. You can now allow the burgers to rest in the fridge for several hours before cooking.

3. When you are ready to cook the burgers, preheat a nonstick skillet, griddle, or grill pan to medium-high. Dust both sides of each burger patty lightly with the flour. Add the oil or nonstick cooking spray to your pan or griddle to heat it up. Cook the burgers until browned on both sides; it should take about 3-4 minutes per side. Top burgers with whatever you like, and serve on the bun of your choice.


Jalapeno-Lemon Coleslaw
adapted from Cooking Light
makes about 5-6 cups

Ingredients
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
4-5 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package angel hair coleslaw
3 jalapeno peppers, halved crosswise

Directions
1. Combine the lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Slowly stream in the olive oil, continually stirring with the whisk. Add scallion and coleslaw.

2. Thinly slice 1 jalapeno half crosswise (keeping seeds), and remove seeds from remaining jalapeno halves. Cut the remaining halves into thin crosswise slices. Add the jalapenos to scallion mixture and toss well to coat. Cover and chill at least 1 hour before serving.


Malt Vinegar Potato Salad
recipe by Bri
makes about 2 pounds

Ingredients
2 lbs. small red potatoes, quartered
4-5 scallions, thinly sliced
4 Tbsp. malt vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions
1. Place the quartered potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Set the pot on the stove, allow it to come up to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer the potatoes for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender but still hold their shape. Drain the potatoes when they are finished cooking.

2. While the potatoes cook, combine the scallions in a large bowl with the malt vinegar, salt, pepper, and rosemary, stirring with a whisk. Slowly stream in the olive oil, continually whisking the mixture. Dump in the hot potatoes and combine well with a large spoon, allowing the dressing the absorb into the potatoes. Cover loosely and chill potato salad for several hours before serving.

Shrimp Korma over White Rice

It seems that anytime I see a recipe these days for an Indian or Mediterranean dish, it immediately catches my eye. I don't know what it is that makes me gravitate towards the food of these two regions, but I am constantly craving it. I have yet to tire of nice, spicy curries, served on a bed of steaming hot rice; similarly, a plate of warm pita bread and hummus always sounds like heaven, day or night.

This dish is one that I read through briefly and then pretty much went straight to the kitchen to see if I had all the ingredients on hand to make. Turns out, I didn't have everything, but I gave you my variation on the dish below. My differences were slight; I put in ground ginger instead of fresh, and I omitted fresh tomato in favor of a bag of frozen veggies. In my opinion, this dish turned out wonderfully. It was comfort food at its spicy best. The shrimp and veggies absorb the brightly flavorful curry broth so nicely, and the rice is the perfect base layer to ground the dish. Best of all, the whole meal takes less than a half hour to put together. You could allow the pot to simmer longer to meld the flavors even more, but even with the quick prep I found it all very tasty. I love it when something so exotic is ridiculously easy, too!

Shrimp Korma over White Rice
adapted from Cooking Light
makes 6 servings

Ingredients
1/2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp. hot curry powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1 (16-oz.) frozen vegetables (I used broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower)
1 lb. peeled and deveined large shrimp
4 cups hot, cooked white rice
fat-free plain yogurt, optional

Directions
1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion to pan; saute 2 minutes. Add flour and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add curry powder, ginger, garam masala, and 1/4 tsp. salt; cook 30 seconds, stirring.

2. Stir in broth and 1/3 cup water; bring to a boil. Stir in coconut milk and reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add peas, frozen veggies, shrimp, and the remaining salt; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done.

3. Spoon about 2/3 cup rice into each of 6 bowls. Top each serving with about 1 cup shrimp mixture and, if desired, 2 tsp. yogurt.

Burritos (And They're Vegetarian!)

Our entree this week in our Cinco de Mayo fiesta was something I've never made before, but have wanted to for a while. Now that I eat (and love!) black beans, and have been working more with meatless dishes, I thought I would make a nice black bean burrito with some soy chorizo and corn.

I ate the most delicious vegetarian burrito at a Mexican restaurant a couple weeks back, and it inspired me to try making one of my own. The burrito that I ate before contained flavorful rice, corn, squash, and black beans, so mine is very loosely modeled on that one. I liked the idea of the meatless sausage for heat, and I figured I can always try making the squash variation later this summer, when Andy's parents start sharing their bumper crop of summer squash and zucchini with us!



For the rice, I simmered mine in some salsa and added onion and garlic to the pot for flavor. When it came time to cook my meat, I did half soyrizo and half non-spicy veggie crumbles. The soyrizo by itself would have been pretty spizy, so I wanted to cut it down a bit. After the meat had a chance to cook, I added some ground cumin, a can of black beans, and some thawed frozen corn.



I read somewhere that it makes the burrito-rolling process much easier if you warm the tortillas first in the oven, so I used that method and it worked beautifully. My rolling skills still leave an awful lot to be desired, but I was at least able to roll mine up so that nothing fell out and the sides were more or less tucked in. The burritos were baked in the oven for about 10 minutes, just enough to lightly crisp the tortillas and warm the filling through. These were so good dipped in some of my Salsa Verde, and Andy slathered sour cream all over his and loved it. He had cheese mixed in with his filling, but I did not. Try the cheese if you love it; I was just trying to cut down on my calories! And I loved these burritos, cheese or no cheese.

Black Bean and Soyrizo Burritos
recipe by Bri
makes about 10-12 burritos

Ingredients
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 a red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups white rice
3 cups water (you can use vegetable broth)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. salsa (any variety, any heat level)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 oz. Soyrizo (vegetarian chorizo sausage), casings removed
4 oz. Morningstar Farms veggie crumbles (or any combination of meat/veggie meat that adds up to a total of 8 oz.)
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 1/3 cups frozen corn, thawed
10-12 (large or burrito-size) flour tortillas
Cheddar cheese, optional, for filling
Hot sauce, optional, for filling (we like Cholula)
Sour cream, optional, for serving
Salsa, optional, for serving

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic; cook for another minute, stirring frequently. Add the rice and stir occasionally to toast the grains, about 2 minutes. Stir in the salsa until it coats the rice. Add the water (or broth), bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Allow to cook, covered, for 20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fully cooked. Fluff with a fork and let stand 5 minutes before using.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet turned to a medium heat, heat the (frozen) veggie crumbles until hot, stirring frequently. After about the first 5 minutes of cooking, add in the soyrizo and continue to cook. Keep stirring; the meat mixture should take about 10 minutes until it reaches the fully cooked stage.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 and place the tortillas on a large piece of foil. Sprinkle the tortillas with just a few drops of water and cover completely with foil. Warm the tortillas in the oven for 10 minutes (this makes them pliable and easier to handle when filling).

4. After the meat mixture has had a chance to fully cook, add in the ground cumin, the black beans, and the corn. Cook just until the beans and corn are completely heated through, and remove from the heat.

5. To assemble the burritos, place a heated tortilla on a work surface. Add about 1/4 cup rice mixture and 1/4 cup meat mixture to the tortilla; top with cheese and/or hot sauce, if desired. Roll the tortilla over the filling, then tuck in the sides. Roll all the way up, and transfer to a greased bakin sheet, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.

5. Bake the burritos in a 350 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes, until the tops are starting to crisp and the filling is very hot. Note: this step is optional, but we really enjoyed the burritos warmed up this way. Serve with sour cream, salsa, or anything else you'd like!

Meatless Mondays: Green Curry with Bok Choy

This past week, I prepared yet another "first" in the kitchen. I cooked tofu, something I'd never done before. In fact, I've only eaten tofu about three times total; this Green Curry with Bok Choy was the third. It's definitely not as scary as I thought it would be; in fact, it's actually pretty pleasant! It's especially good in dishes like this curry, since it just assumes the flavor of whatever it is in. This curry is packed with great, exotic flavor.

The "green" parts of this curry are plentiful. There's fresh broccoli and bok choy in this recipe, along with a heaping helping of fresh cilantro and a couple of serrano peppers. The cilantro and peppers are added to a few other ingredients and processed until they form a smooth paste. This paste becomes the base for the sauce of the dish. More green components, such as Kaffir lime leaves, basil, and mint are added as aromatics, making the dish smell heavenly and taste just as great. I wish that I had Kaffir lime at the time that I made this; I can see how it would have enhanced the dish so much more. It was still wonderful, but the lime leaves would probably have taken it over the top.

The tofu is cut into cubes and added to the sauce to simmer. A can of coconut milk (light, since this is a Cooking Light dish), fresh lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil round out the sauce, and after a brief thickening period, the pre-cooked veggies are thrown in to warm through. The curry is served on top of rice, and garnished with the basil and mint. I loved the ease of preparation here; the whole thing maybe took me half an hour. I couldn't tell you for sure, since I made this in different steps throughout the day, but each step was quick and simple. The dish tasted fresh, flavorful, slightly spicy, and just interesting enough to be deemed fancy. We really loved it. It just goes to show you that a fast dinner with a global flair really can be thrown together in the comfort of your own home!

Green Curry with Bok Choy
adapted from Cooking Light
makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. chopped, peeled fresh ginger
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
8 garlic cloves, peeled
3 small serrano chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 large shallots, coarsely chopped (I used 1/2 an onion)
4 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets (about 1 head)
2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) slices baby bok choy
2 tsp. dark sesame oil
4 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. lower-sodium soy sauce
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
3 Kaffir lime leaves (I omitted)
1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 (14-ounce) package water-packed organic firm tofu, drained and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 cups hot, cooked, long-grain white rice (I used brown jasmine rice)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint (I omitted)

Directions
1. Combine the first 7 ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Set aside.

2. Cook broccoli florets in boiling water in a Dutch oven for 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Remove broccoli from water with a slotted spoon; drain and rinse with cold water. Return water to a boil. Add baby bok choy to Dutch oven; cook 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water; set aside.

3. Drain water from Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat. Add sesame oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add cilantro mixture to pan; saute 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add sugar and next 4 ingredients (through coconut milk) to pan; bring to a boil. Add tofu; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes or until slightly thick. Add broccoli, bok choy, and juice; cook 1 minute or until heated through, tossing to combine. Discard lime leaves (if using). Place 1/2 cup rice in each of four bowls; spoon 1 1/2 cups tofu mixture over each serving. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. basil and 1 1/2 tsp. mint over each serving.

CEIMB: Sesame Shrimp Fried Rice with Cabbage

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe was chosen by Sarah of Sarah's Kitchen Adventures. It was the Sesame Shrimp Fried Rice with Cabbage from Ellie's So Easy cookbook. I was instantly excited when I learned that this would be made by the group. I have a very special place in my heart for shrimp fried rice, you see. I was first introduced to Chinese take-out by ordering myself a pint of shrimp fried rice every time the rest of the family wanted Chinese food. While my parents were ordering way more exotic delicacies, I was perfectly content with my shrimp fried rice. I mean, I loved the stuff. I didn't even bother branching out and trying other Chinese dishes until I was in college! I'm glad I finally did, because of course I have discovered many, many other loves along the way. But you never forget your first, and shrimp fried rice was mine! (Am I getting carried away because of Valentine's Day? Who knows?)

I knew I could count on Ellie to make shrimp fried rice healthier, and still have it be just as delicious as I remember. Her variation is very simple: a generous heap of green cabbage is added to the rice, along with ginger, scallions, sesame oil/sesame seeds, a dash of soy sauce (my husband was shocked at how just 3 Tablespoons of soy went such a long way!), and last but not least, the shrimp. I decided to do part green cabbage and part bok choy, just because we love bok choy around here. I also used half the amount of oil to stir-fry the shrimp. Other than that, I was very faithful to Ellie's way of doing this.

This was one of the best homemade fried rice dishes we've ever had! The tip about making sure your rice is very cold is key here; it really makes the rice perfect; non-clumpy and all the grains are soft but not gummy. I think that has been my problem with fried rice I've made in the past. The rice was never quite right, and never reminded me of takeout. This one did, though. If you fed this to company, I'd bet you they'd never know it didn't come out of a Chinese food carton! I loved this so much that I think I'm going to be making it my stand-by fried rice from here on out! Thanks again, Ellie.

And of course, huge thanks to Sarah for this amazing find! If you'd like this wonderful recipe, click on over to the Food Network website, here. And be sure to check out the CEIMB blogroll, here.

Adobo Seasoned Chicken and Rice

A good friend of mine recently bought me a copy of Bobby Flay's wonderful new cookbook, Bobby Flay's Throwdown, and I could not wait to crack this puppy open and start cooking from it. If for some reason you're not familiar with Bobby Flay's Food Network show of the same name, here's a quick rundown. Iron Chef Bobby Flay travels all over the country, challenging unsuspecting cooks to make their signature dish while he cooks his own version of the same dish. Then, after both sides have prepared their dishes, the lucky crowd who has been watching it all take place get to sample all the delicious food. At the end of each episode, the dishes are judged and a winner of the throwdown is declared. It's all very entertaining, and almost every single time both dishes sound amazing. Honestly, I don't know how it's not a tie each time!

So, I started out by making Bobby's chicken wings, but they disappeared before I even had a chance to blog about them. They were pretty darn tasty, so I was eager to try something else. Next up was Bobby's Adobo Seasoned Chicken and Rice. This dish was up against a more traditional Arroz con Pollo (chicken and rice) on the show, and even though Bobby's take on it did not win, we thought it was truly divine in its own right.



I think the secret to the whole thing is his adobo seasoning. A flavorful blend of spices is rubbed into the chicken before you brown all the pieces in a Dutch oven. You finish baking off the chicken in the oven, and then you start making the rice in the Dutch oven. The flavor left behind in the pot becomes part of the rice mixture, and just simmers away and gets all deeply ingrained in all the veggies and the rice. It's magical. Then you stir in some peas and allow the rice to finish cooking. Towards the end, you add in olives (Bobby threw in some fresh cilantro and parsley, too, but I didn't have any that day) and freshly squeezed lemon juice (Bobby had a lime; I did not!), and finally the chicken goes back in, now that it has fully cooked in the oven.

Boy, did we love this dish! To me, it bore a strong resemblance to paella, which is a dish I have made several times. However, this one is a bit simpler, and packs a sneaky punch. It's got all these layers of flavor; the flavor of the chicken itself, the flavor the chicken imparts on the rice, the flavor of all the different veggies, and then that salty kick from the olives. Plus, it was so homey and comforting on a chilly evening. I don't know what the winning dish on this episode of Throwdown tasted like, but I can tell you that this one totally deserves the crown. Don't take my word for it, though. I think you should try it yourself!




Adobo Seasoned Chicken and Rice
adapted from the Food Network
makes about 8 servings

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. granulated onion
1 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
4 chicken thighs, with skin, cut in 1/2
4 chicken breasts, with skin, cut in 1/2 lengthwise
5 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, finely diced
1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced (Bobby used a serrano)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, reconstituted in warm water (Bobby used 3 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely diced)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups long-grain rice (we used 1 cup)
4 3/4 cups chicken stock (we used 2 cups)
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives (Bobby used a combination of green olives and picholine olives, but I don't even know what a picholine olive is!)
Squeeze of lemon juice

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix together the first 8 ingredients (salt through oregano) in a small bowl. Season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and then season with the mixture in the bowl.

2. Heat 3 Tbsp. of the olive oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Saute the chicken pieces in batches, skin side down, until golden brown. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown. Remove the chicken to a baking sheet and put into the preheated oven for 12 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil back over the heat, turning down to medium-high. Saute the onion and peppers for about 3 minutes, until soft. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

4. Add the rice to the pot and cook for a minute, stirring to combine with the vegetables. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir well, cover, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, add the peas to the pot, then replace the lid and cook for another 8 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked.

5. Remove the pot from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes, covered. Remove the lid, fluff the rice with a fork, and gently fold in the olives; squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Spoon the rice mixture into shallow bowls, then top with the cooked chicken pieces.

CEIMB: Chicken Paella with Sausage and Olives

Mmm, paella! This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe was Chicken Paella with Sausage and Olives, chosen by Margaret of Tea and Scones. It seems that CEIMB will be able to live on, after all! Marthe of Culinary Delights has taken over the blogging group, so we are definitely moving forward and continuing to cook fantastic dishes week after week. Very exciting!

Now, onto this week's dish. This was a great one, possibly one of my favorites to come out of Ellie's So Easy cookbook so far. First of all, paella is something I usually think of in my mind as something that will be very labor intensive and take forever to make. I think it's been a couple years since I have attempted to make a paella, and I do recall it taking quite a while. It's a Spanish dish, and I believe it is traditionally cooked in a special paella pan, which makes the rice in the dish kind of crisp and crunchy on the bottom.

Fortunately, you do not need any special equipment for Ellie's version, and you do not have to slave over a hot stove all day, either. This relatively simple chicken and rice dish is a one-pot wonder that just requires some chopping, sauteeing, and a final cook in the oven. It's worry-free and tastes like it was a lot more complicated than it was.

For the sausage in the dish, you would normally use a chorizo. I found some "Soy-rizo" at Trader Joe's that I decided to use in its place. One big difference between regular chorizo and my meatless version was the casings. Ellie has you remove the casings and slice the chorizo into thin slices. My "Soy-rizo" had a thin plastic casing on it, and once removed the sausage underneath was crumbly, much like ground meat. So you can't really see any of my sausage in the pictures of the dish, but it is there. It's just tiny and finely ground. It was delicious, though; the meatless sausage worked out great! I also used chicken breast instead of chicken thighs, and I didn't really miss the thighs.

I'm so glad I used the olives; I was wary of them because I haven't been the hugest fan of them in the past. They really added something this time, though. I loved them. I loved the peas, too; they imparted a nice texture to the proceedings, a bright pop in your mouth every now and then.

This dish is seasoned relatively sparsely, but it has such a fabulous flavor. You throw in some salt, pepper, turmeric, and a pinch of saffron threads. And that's really all you need. The dish has a slow-cooked, rich flavor that I just didn't feel the need to improve upon. All in all, very satisfying and a big success!

Next week will be my pick for the group! I'm really looking forward to that. In the meantime, this recipe can be found here. I had to do a quick Google search to find that link, because I couldn't find it on Food Network's site like I normally can with Ellie's recipes. You can also check the CEIMB site to find out how the other members fared this week. And a big thank you to Margaret for the excellent choice!

A Week of Coconut: Chicken Kelaguen

This meal came about when I asked Andy what he would like for his birthday dinner this year. Now, he usually responds with something like, "I don't care; I'm not picky," or "whatever you think." So imagine my surprise when he actually came up with this great idea!

Andy was born on the island of Guam, but he didn't live there very long. He certainly did not live there long enough to remember any of it, let alone remember the cuisine of the island. But he thought, with it being his birthday and all, that it would be kinda neat to research the foods of Guam, the basic staples and common dishes and whatnot, and make some of them this year. I agreed; I thought it was brilliant! We're always open to trying new and different things and food combinations, and I couldn't wait to look it up and see what was out there.

I discovered that some of the common Guamanian staples were things we would really like. The first Google search I did produced the name of a dish: chicken kelaguen. Chicken? Count us in! I also discovered that they make a red rice, using the annatto seed to color the grains. Another side dish they make is marinated cucumbers. Finally, I discovered that one of their primary staples is....you guessed it, coconut! (This is a coconut-themed post, after all!) After a visit to my favorite recipe website in all the land, Recipezaar, I had acquired the appropriate recipes and was ready to start cooking!

Since there were going to be so many components to these dishes, we got to work on them the day before we were going to eat them. We started with a chicken. I had Andy grill a whole chicken. That's right, he actually grilled an entire chicken. He had to butcher it, too, since I had bought it intact. He was very critical of his work, saying he had done a terrible job, but I kept telling him to give himself a break. It was his first time taking apart a chicken, and no matter what, it was still going to taste good!



Once he had finished grilling the whole chicken, and allowing it to cool a bit, he set to work on shredding the meat. We stored it in the refrigerator overnight; it was pretty much ready to eat the next day. More on that in a little bit.

Next, I had to assemble the marinated cucumbers. They were going to need time to sit in the fridge and let all the flavors mingle; I was reading online that they were better the longer they sat. The marinade was pretty simple and fast, so I threw it together, sliced the cukes, tossed everything into a large Ziploc bag, and it was ready for the fridge.



So how does it all come together? I'm glad you asked! Picture, if you will, a nice, big pile of whole wheat pita breads and corn tortillas. Oh, wait, you don't have to picture it; I pictured it for you!



You pile your pita bread, or your corn tortilla, with the shredded chicken (which I had gently reheated in a low-ish oven, wrapped in foil). Top the chicken with finadene sauce, and then freshly grated coconut. First off, I have to say that I was surprised and intrigued by the addition of the fresh coconut. I wasn't sure what effect it would have on the overall flavor of the dish. I definitely thought it sounded too interesting not to try it, though. As for the finadene sauce, well, what a find this turned out to be! It is basically an extremely spicy soy sauce, but it is oh, so much more than that. There's 6 very hot peppers in this sauce (we used 3 habaneros and 3 small green thai chilies), chopped very fine, as well as some scallions and lemon juice. I love all these ingredients, but I have to admit that I was worried about this combination as a whole. I thought it may turn out to be an inedible, too-spicy, too-acidic mess. Boy, was I wrong!

Now, you can't go overboard on this sauce, mind you. It is very spicy. However, the way this stuff complements the rest of the ingredients of the pita is amazing. It flavors the chicken meat, and it balances out the mellowness of the coconut. Furthermore, it is superb on the red rice. I found the rice, on its own, to taste slightly bitter, but when you spoon some of the finadene on top, it changes the taste. The way it evened out was perfect. I did not take a picture of the red rice by itself, but it does make an appearance in the opening picture of this post. If I had to choose a least favorite part of the meal, the rice would probably be it, but I'm still glad we tried it; it made the whole thing that much more authentic. (The zucchini rolls from my last post appear on the finished plate picture, too, but obviously they were not really meant to be eaten with this Guamanian meal!)

All in all, we were very happy with our first foray into the food of Guam. I think we're going to be venturing even further into this cuisine in the future. I've already found more recipes to try! As for the fresh coconut, I was so psyched to buy my first real coconut to use for this dish. We had another use for the coconut, but you'll have to wait until my next post to find out what that other use was. It's a doozy, if I do say so myself!



The recipe for the marinated cucumbers can be found here.
The recipe for the finadene sauce can be found here.
For the Chamorro Red Rice, I used this recipe as a guide, but what I did was slightly different.

Chamorro Red Rice
adapted from Recipezaar
serves 4-6

Ingredients
2 cups short-grain rice
4 cups water
2-3 tsp. annatto seed, ground into a powder
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
1. Combine water and annatto powder in a medium-sized saucepan and bring water to a boil. Add rice, salt, and pepper, stir briefly, and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover the rice, and cook for 18-20 minutes, until water is absorbed and the rice has taken on an orange-reddish tint. Fluff with a fork, take the saucepan off the heat, and let stand with the lid on for about 5 minutes. Serve with chicken kelaguen.

Chicken Kelaguen

Ingredients
1 whole (3-4 lb.) chicken
3/4-1 cup freshly grated coconut (not the sweet shredded stuff you get in a bag in the baking aisle of the grocery store)
6-8 whole-wheat pita breads, slightly warmed
6-8 corn tortillas, slightly warmed
finadene sauce, to taste

Directions
1. Prepare the chicken by grilling (or poaching, or baking, or whatever method you find easiest) until cooked through. Shred all the meat and reserve.
2. Assembly: choose either a pita or a tortilla as your base. Sprinkle shredded chicken on your bread of choice, add some grated coconut, and top with finadene sauce. Serve with red rice on the side.

A Week of Coconut: Chicken Tikka Masala

My second coconut meal this week was a lovely chicken dish that I had been meaning to try for quite a while. It was very simple and relatively fast, other than the fact that there was a period of marinating for the chicken. The technique basically involves mixing together a spice blend and letting chicken cubes hang out in it for 2 hours up to 24 hours. After it's been properly married in the fridge, you saute some onion and red jalapeno on the stove and simmer these veggies in coconut milk briefly. While the veggies cook, broil the chicken quickly, add it to the pot of veggies and coconut milk, and allow all the flavors to come together over a low heat.

I couldn't believe how much bang for the buck you get with this meal. It packs so much flavor, for such little effort! The spice blend was extremely aromatic and flavorful, and the red jalapeno adds a decent amount of heat. The coconut milk adds a different dimension of rich, creamy smoothness. It's almost sweet, but because it is paired with so many savory elements, it takes on those new flavors and provides a yummy sauce that is perfectly soaked up by the rice you set it all on top of. This was our first time using coconut milk in a dish, but it certainly will not be the last. We loved it in this dish, and I'm already thinking up new ways to incorporate it into things. One thing: this recipe's instructions originally said not to use light coconut milk, but I decided not to heed the warning. I went ahead with the light coconut milk and I thought it was perfectly fine the way it was. I didn't miss the extra fat. The original recipe is here. I am posting my rendition, simply because I did a couple things differently.

Cheeky Chicken Tikka Masala
Adapted from Recipezaar
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. dried cilantro
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 ½ Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
1 red jalapeno chile, finely chopped
1 14 oz. can light coconut milk
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions
1. Combine ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, pepper, cilantro, lime juice, and 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a ziplock bag. Add chicken cubes, shake bag to coat thoroughly, and place in refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat broiler. Place chicken on a baking sheet, and broil for about 8-10 minutes, turning once halfway through. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining ½ Tbsp. olive oil in a deep skillet or pot over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeno, and sauté for about 5 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Add coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
4. Turn heat down to low and cook for another 2-5 minutes. Add in the reserved chicken, stir to combine, and simmer another 5 minutes or so, until chicken is cooked through.
5. Serve chicken mixture over rice (we used brown basmati rice) with lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy!