Danielle's Curry

So I forgot to take a picture of my dish. Go figure huh. But we had people over for dinner tonight, and I was caught up with just getting dinner finished in time.

Anyway, Max and I both thought the curry dish was very good. I noticed after we were already eating that I forgot to put a few things in (salt, lime juice, and cayenne pepper), but it was still very good. I put a little salt and pepper on the food on my plate and I thought that was an improvement. So I'll make sure to remember the salt next time (I'm not a fan of garlic salt so I'll use regular salt instead) and maybe I'll add some black pepper instead of the cayenne pepper (I don't think it really needed any boost in spiciness).

I doubled the veggies and added some extra broth (I used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth) to make it go farther. I also cut out most of the sugar. I tasted LuAnn's dish the other night and thought it was too sweet for my tastes. I put in just a small spoonful of brown sugar. I think my dish could've used maybe a little more sugar but not much.

Overall, I appreciated the simplicity of the dish - easy to shop for and easy to make. I always love a meal that I can get all the ingredients for at the produce market! And it was flavorful and tasty. Good pick Melanie!

Melanie's Coconut Chicken Curry

This recipe proved to be delicious once again! It even got grandma's stamp of approval! (Josh's grandma is here visiting us this week). I think it was probably slightly better the first time I made it though. I think it is because this time I put a little too much lime juice (I used 2 limes because they were small), and the rice was not very good...too sticky. I'm the worst rice cooker! But I love the chunky vegetables and the great combination of flavors. I added more chicken broth, about 3/4 cup because I thought it would be too thick if I didn't. I used 3 Tbsp. of curry powder, but I could have used more as the curry flavor wasn't very strong. But that might be just because the Ecuador brand of curry powder isn't very strong. McCormick's or other US brands of curry powder probably have a stronger flavor. I am happy I'll have yummy leftovers to eat tomorrow!

Jess's Coconut Curry Chicken

This dish was a lot of fun for me. It was my first Curry experience

I used about 3 1/2 tablespoons of Curry but 3 is plenty.

I opted for red potatoes just because I think they are pretty but they did add an extra earthy flavor which was nice.

I used Jasmine rice which added another subtle depth of flavor.

That's what this dish is all about....flavor country.

Next time I make it I will try it with shrimp!

Thanks Melanie.

Cami's Curry

I love curry. This dish did not disappoint. There were a lot of flavors which made it really tasty. At first I tasted the coconut milk (sweet) and then the curry which had a little kick at the end. It was so good. I added 3 tablespoons of curry powder and thought it was perfect.

I realized a little too late that I didn't have rice, so I substituted with orzo. It was still very good and I don't think it changed the flavor much. I also had some celery in the fridge that wasn't going to be used otherwise, so I threw that in. Again, it didn't change the flavor but I did like the extra crunch.

I will definitely make this again. Thanks for such a good recipe Melanie!

This Week's Recipe: Coconut Chicken Curry

Hi, this is Melanie Wallbrecht posting. The cooking recipe for this week is Coconut Chicken Curry. It didn't come from a cookbook since I don't have any cookbooks with me here in Ecuador, so I got it online from one of my favorite recipe websites- allrecipes.com. Actually, I think it's a compilation of a few different chicken curry recipes from that site. I made it once before a couple months ago, I liked the way it turned out, and this is the recipe I saved on my computer. I remember it having a good hearty flavor. You can add more or less curry to your liking.

Coconut Chicken Curry

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - chopped
1 small head broccoli, chopped
1 carrot, diced or cubed
2 potatoes, cubed
3-4 tablespoons yellow curry powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 (14 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
1/3 cup chicken stock
few dashes of cayenne pepper
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until tender. Mix in the chicken, and cook 10 minutes, or until juices run clear.

2. Mix the broccoli, carrots, potatoes, curry powder and garlic salt into the skillet. Pour in the coconut milk, chicken stock, and brown sugar. Season with cayenne pepper, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Serve over rice.


Now a little more about me:

Q: When did you start baking/cooking?
A: I think I've always baked and cooked, always helping my family when I was younger. I never felt I didn't know how to cook, but it wasn't until I was married that I realized my cooking/baking skills were in need of expansion. I don't consider myself super skilled by any means, but in the past few years I've found I enjoy trying new recipes and new ingredients, and eating a variety of different foods. I enjoy cooking and baking equally as much.

Q: What is your favorite kitchen tool?
A: Can't live without my rubber spatulas.

Q: Do you have a favorite spice? If so, what is it?
A: I love the smell of ginger, but don't use it a whole lot. I probably use black pepper the most, especially since my husband loves a lot of it in everything.

Q: What is your favorite book?
A: I honestly don't have a favorite book. The last two I read were Congo and As Summer's Die.

Q: If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
A: I would love to visit Australia.

Q: If you had to change your first name right now, what would you change it to?
A: I don't know, never thought about it. Maybe something shorter like "Amy" or "Ann" or "Rae" because my full name has so many letters!

Q: Where do you currently live?
A: I currently live in Quito, Ecuador. I've lived here since last October and I'll be here until the end of June. Then I will be moving back to Chicago.

Q: Where are you from?
A: Mesa, Arizona

Q: If you could eat one thing for every meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A: Maybe a Jimmy John's sandwich, because they are quite tasty plus it would have a well-balanced variety of ingredients.