Best Chicken Curry

I made my first chicken curry when I was about 15 or so. My mum had these British cooking books at home, and I often went through them imagining being able to prepare each and every meal some day.
However, my ability to actually prepare most of these meals was limited, as the ingredients that you can pick up from your local grocer in England are not quite the same in Nigeria or Cote d'Ivoire.
On one bored afternoon, as I was looking through the cookbooks one more time, I stumbled upon the chicken curry recipe and discovered that we actually had all the ingredients at home. Thanks to my dear mum, who indulged all my cooking experiments, starting that day, I added one more dish to my repetoire.
The recipe in the book included a few ingredients like diced apples, which acted as a thickening agent of sorts, which after years of experimenting, I have decided to leave out. Depending on my mood, I add ingredients such as diced red and green peppers, or carrots; and sometimes leave out flour, tomatoes or even coconut milk. However, the following is a simple and well tested recipe which will be a crowd pleaser.
Ingredients
Diced up chicken (preferably dark meat, although white meat is excellent too)
Spices (curry powder, cayenne pepper, salt, thyme, mixed spiced (seasoned salt), ground garlic, ground ginger)
Onions (diced)
Diced tomatoes ( 1 small tomato for 6-8 thighs)
Coconut milk (1/4 a cup)
Flour (about a leveled tablespoon)
Oil (about a tablespoon)
Water (1/2 a cup)
Preparation
Season the chicken with the combination of all spices and leave to marinate for at least an hour
Heat up pan and add oil
Add chicken and brown on all sides until tender (make sure completely cooked to your liking)
Add diced onion, cook until tender
Add tomatoes (optional), cook until tender
Add about a tablespoon of curry powder, mix thoroughly
Add coconut milk, stir
Dissolve flour in water and add to chicken
The curry sauce will start to thicken.... add more water if necessary
If necessary add salt, pepper and other spices to taste
Allow to simmer on low heat for 10 - 15 minutes continuously stirring.

Serve with white or brown rice and enjoy!

*I used chicken breast and added diced carrots to the one in the picture.
** I have used other recipes which pretty much involved tossing all of the ingredients in a pot and simmering on low heat, until the chicken is cooked.... works well for goat and lamb but not the best with chicken.

Semi-homemade mini pizza

The first time I made these pizzas was in July last year, for my sister's bday. I was thinking up ideas for appetizers, but didn't want anything too complicated or expensive.
Pizzas are really easy to make, but the toughest part is preparing the dough. As much as I love to cook, I am not one for waiting for yeast to rise, or kneading dough; and ready made pizza dough(if you find it), can be pretty expensive.
So... I decided to try 'biscuit dough'. I am always thinking of substitute ingredients.Pillsbury grands are pretty excellent for these, but any brand will do.

What you need:
I pack of biscuit dough (usually 8 in a pack)
Shredded mozzarella cheese (I use part-skim)
Pasta sauce or home made tomato sauce (I like to season mine with Italian seasoning)
Toppings - I love pepperoni (but have used turkey bacon and onions too)

Preparation:
Separate the biscuits, flattening each one to desired thickness
Place on a baking sheet/pan
Spread some sauce on each one
Add toppings (be careful not to pile too high)
Add as much cheese as desired, that can fit on each round

Bake in oven according to specified in the instructions for the biscuits - usually at 325 for about 20 mins.

It will be a crowd pleaser! Plus it looks all rustic, which is kinda cool!

p.s - note that the biscuits can be quite salty, so adjust salt in homemade sauce.
I used turkey bacon for the pizzas in the pic.
This is also a great meal to do with the kids.

The barefoot contessa's 'Chicken Hash'

Happy New Year Folks!

I guess with the new year, and new resolutions going around, I decided to expand my cooking repertoire a little - trying something different.

I was watching food network a few days ago - during my lunch break from a really busy day at school. I usually get ideas here and there, but I never have enough time to write up an entire recipe while watching the shows, and since going to the website to retrieve the recipe seems like a little too much work, lets just say, ' I simply enjoy the shows'.

However, on this day, Ina Garten was working on a very straight forward and simple dish. It had two components that I love. It was a 'one pot dish' and it involved the use of 'potatoes'. It was easy enough to memorize ... plus, I wrote it down shortly after.

A few days later, I had one large potato in my refrigerator and I had no idea what to do with it. Didn't feel like a baked potato or some mash, so... although I did not have all the necessary ingredients for Ina Garten's chicken hash, I had substitute ingredients to prepare ' Kerie's' version. So... here we go!

Cut up 3 or 4 chicken thighs into small pieces (almost bite size). Season with Italian seasonings, salt and pepper, and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes (or until done) at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dice a small onion, half a red bell pepper, and one potato (bite size)
Add a little oil (or cooking spray) into a pan. Sautee the onions and potatoes (add salt and black pepper to taste) until done.
In a separate pan sautee the red peppers.
Add fresh chopped garlic (or garlic powder) to the pepper, then add cayenne pepper and thyme (dried is fine) to taste.
Add cooked chicken and pepper mixture to the potato mixture. Stir thoroughly.
Simmer for about 5 minutes.

In Garten suggested serving with fresh cut scallions and basil.

Simple and delicious!

p.s- The barefoot contessa's recipe involved roastinag a whole chicken with basil and using the white meat only. Also, she used paprika instead of cayenne pepper.

Chicken Wings

About a month ago, I started craving some buffalo chicken wings, but didn't really have the time to make some. I decided to pick some up at a pizza joint about a block from my home, but they just didn't do them right (they were breaded - an obvious no no for the true buffalo wing connoisseur). I guess I should have known - 'this west coast folk don't know nothing about no buffalo wings'.
Finally, I decided to go ahead and make mine. The recipe is simple - toss the wings in seasoned salt, let sit for about 30 mins. Toss them in a little bit of flour (about a teaspoon), deep fry and toss in your favorite buffalo sauce. Yummy!!!

After cooking up a second batch about a week later, I got sick of eating buffalo wings, but I still had some frozen wings left in the freezer. Not really a dilemma, but, since I am always looking to add something new to my mental recipe book, I decided to try making 'Teriyaki Wings'.

I picked up a teriyaki glaze/marinade from the store ( I picked a teriyaki glaze over a teriyaki sauce because it is thicker, which makes it more likely to stick). I tossed the wings in salt and black pepper, cooked them in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until they started to brown, tossed them in the glaze, then put them back in the oven for about 10 mins to brown.

The result - a simple but excellent and tasty wing dish. I made mine a meal with some homemade coleslaw on the side.

Shepherd's Pie

My love for Shepherd's pie started at the British School of Lome. Okay, what we were served from that kitchen during lunch was not quite the real deal, but I could imagine its potential, if done right.
I was part of a cooking club that met at one of the teacher's houses in BSL, and it was there that I made it for the first time. I cannot claim to remember every step from back then, but a simple and straight forward tutorial given to me by my sis-in-law, Daureen, brought back memories.
I tried it again a few months ago, and have made it a few more times since for my sis, who loves it.

What you need:
Mashed potatoes - I like to make mine (potatoes, butter(low fat spread), milk (I prefer lowfat/skim)
Ground beef/turkey - have used both and both taste great (Sister claims she does not taste the difference)
Onions - chopped
Mixed veggies - whatever kind you have will work. I have even used Asian stir-fry mixed veggies
Gravy - l like to make mine with a dissolved bouillon cube and a little flour for thickening, but, store bought is great.
Salt and black pepper to taste.
What to do:
Spray cooking spray into a heated pan
Sautee onions until cooked
Add ground meat, salt and pepper (to taste), and brown until cooked
Add mixed vegetables, cook until tender
Add gravy and simmer for 5 minutes
Grab a casserole dish, add the beef mixture
Spread the mashed potatoes over the mixture
Run lines over the surface with a fork (optional)
Bake in a 400 degree (F) oven for 45 minutes or until starts to brown and sauce starts to bubble over.

Simple and delicious.

Chili con carne

As the temperature starts to drop (didn't summer just start?), we don't feel like going out as much, usually because it means layering up, etc.

A good hearty meal for one of those nights you might feel like laying in your bed or sitting on the couch with a good movie or book, and a blanket or two wrapped around you, is chili con carne (translated as peppers with meat).

My chili is a tasty combination of ground beef, onions, cooked kidney beans (canned is fine, but I prefer to cook mine), onions, tomatoes (crushed or chopped), chili powder, and salt, pepper, herbs and garlic to taste.

Slow cooked on the stove for 1 to 1 1/2hours, chili is a one pot delight that tastes great topped with grated cheddar cheese, fresh chopped onions, crackers, or chopped green peppers like I do.

*I like mine thick, so I add a little or no water. Feel free to adjust to your taste.
*Ground turkey is a perfect substitute for the healthier eater.
*Want to kick things up a bit? Use a mixture of ground beef and sausage.

Bacon wrapped scallops

I love seafood in general, but scallops are one of my favorites. Scallops are delicious and most importantly for me, easy to cook. Like most seafood, it does not take long to cook, and if cooked too long, the texture becomes rubbery.

One of my favorite dishes is 'Bacon wrapped scallops'.

Here is what you need:-
Fresh or frozen (defrosted) scallops
Bacon (I use turkey bacon because it is healthier and just as tasty)
Toothpicks
Black pepper (optional)

Step 1:
- wrap each scallop in a piece of bacon
- stick a toothpick through the wrap to hold in place


Step 2:
- line up on a backing sheet, about an inch or so apart
- sprinkle with black pepper (optional)


Step 3:
- bake in a 350 degree (Fahrenheit) oven for 15-20 minutes (until bacon is slightly crispy).


Serve alone as an appetizer, or serve as an entree like I did with couscous.



*Don't like scallops, substitute with shrimps or prawns.
*This dish is an excellent one to do with the kids. My 8 year old niece and I had fun making bacon wrapped prawns and then eating them.