Fake Chicken Vindaloo

I don't claim to be a food expert at all, but I know what tastes good to me and what doesn't. For those of you who are experts, good for you and don't chastise this Vindaloo recipe. I did say it was fake. For those of you who have no idea what Vindaloo is...awesome! I know you won't judge me. Regardless of how accurate this recipe is, it's tasty if you are looking for something rich and curryish. This recipes comes from The Food in my Beard and is meant to be eaten in arepas. However, LSH and I decided to eat it over rice. Eat it however you want. This Vindaloo comes together pretty quickly and can be easily adapted. The measurements I will put for this recipe are approximate. I'm pretty sure I ended up adding way more curry powder and some other assorted spices. I also added potatoes. I made this own a while ago and we decided that potatoes would make it even better and they sure did. Play with it and make it your own!

Time: 30-45 minutes
Ingredients
2 sliced onions
2 1/2 Tbsp curry powder
3-5 chiles, depending on what heat you want, sliced (I used whatever was frozen in my freezer..I think jalapenos and Thai chiles were involved...)
Ginger (the original post recommends fresh, but I used powdered) - use however much you are comfortable with
5 cloves of minced garlic
4 chicken breasts
2 cups chicken broth (or enough to cover the chicken breasts in a pan)
1-2 potatoes diced
Hot cooked rice

Start with a deep skillet with a bit of olive oil over medium heat. Toss in the onions and soften them. As delicious as caramelized onions are, don't let them get to this point. Add in the curry powder, chiles, ginger, and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until everything is softened and mixed. Throw the whole mixture in a food processor or blender and transform it into a paste. It's ok if there are still some chunks. It's up to personal preference. At this point you can try it and see if it needs more of something.

Sear both sides of the chicken breasts in the skillet. Add in the paste and cook for about 2 minutes still over medium heat. Pour in the chicken broth until the chicken is covered. You might use all of the 2 cups, you might need more, you might need less. Just cover those breasts... Stir it all around until the sauce smoothens out.

Add in the potatoes and simmer the lovely mixture until the chicken is completely cooked through and the taters are soft.


Add this point you can do what you want with the chicken. I took it out, shredded it, and then tossed it back into the sauce and we ate it over rice. Deliciousness...

Original post at http://www.thefoodinmybeard.com/2011/01/chicken-vindaloo-arepa.html

Crispy French Fries for the Garlic Lover

Law Student Husband (LSH) and I love french fries. Our standby favorites are probably Arby's curly fries. One day over the summer we decided it was time for us to make our own fries, being grown-ups and all. We searched the web and found a few recipes. LSH tried one that attempted to duplicate Arby's but they were awful and fell apart! We tried another basic one and they were bland and mushy. Finally, I found this recipes on foodiewife-kitchen's blog A Feast for the Eyes. These fries were everything LSH and I were looking for; they were crispy, garlicky, and just a little bit spicy. Ever since the first time we made them, they have become a regular side dish. Please try them and enjoy them as much as we do! I plan to add pictures to this the next time I make these addicting things.
Edit: Pictures are added!

We'll start with the ingredients:
3 or so potatoes (we use russet) cut into fries or wedges (LSH always does this step because I fail at cutting even-sized pieces)
8 cloves of garlic, minced (We buy the pre-minced jars because we're lazy and it's still potent)
6 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp corn starch
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how much spice you want; we like it spicy!)
Preheat the oven to 475° F

LSH cuts the fries so pretty :)

Start with putting the olive oil and the garlic in a large bowl. Microwave the bowl for about a minute. This is to infuse the oil with garlicky goodness. Once the oil is fragrant pour 5 Tbsp of the oil (leaving the garlic in the bowl) onto a large baking sheet.

Add the potatoes to the large bowl with the remaining oil and garlic.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and stick it in the microwave for about 5-7 minutes depending on how thick your wedges are. This step is key to the amazing texture of these fries.

While the potatoes are softening up in the garlic awesomeness, mix together the corn starch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small bowl.

Once the potatoes are done, let them cool slightly and then carefully toss them with the cornstarch mixture. Your goal is to coat each wedge in the powder. This is what gives them their satisfying crunch. When you see all the potatoes coated, place them on the oiled baking sheet. Place them so they are not touching to ensure crispyness. Once they are lined up so prettily, stick them in the oven on a middle rack. After about 15 minutes, take out the sizzling wedges and flip them. If you can't stand the temptation, snitch one now! They may not be super crispy, but they are still delicious. Stick them back into the oven for another 15 minutes or until they have reached the desired crispiness. 

Slide those suckers off the sheet onto a plate and hide them from others because you will not want to share! These are wonderful with no sauce, but if you must, ketchup is an OK option.

Check out http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2009/04/garlic-oven-fries.html for the original posting.