Making Spanish Rice with Papa

Last Tuesday, Alisha, Gwen, and I went to the Brinkley’s house to learn how to make “real and authentic” Spanish Rice from Alisha’s Papa. It was so much fun! He actually started out by teaching us how to make good white rice. Man, the tips he shared made all the difference. After that he began teaching us to make spanish rice. It was really funny because he has made this SOOO many times that he doesnt need to measure anything out….whereas us girls were needing to figure out the measurements so we could make it right. LoL. He was so cute and was trying to help us figure out how many teaspoons of each ingredient should be put in. Below are some fun photos of the day. Definitely looking forward to another cooking day where Papa teaches us how to make the key ingredient to Spanish Rice, Sofrito!

Thank You, Papa, for sharing your recipe with us and for giving us a fun-filled afternoon!

Matthew's Coconut Curry Chicken

For the past week I have been getting so many amazing recipes posted to the Yellow Pepper facebook page. It has been so much fun to see what kind of yummy goodness people post and also having a great go to place for recipes. I decided I was going to start making what friends were posting, so I decided to try Matthew's Coconut Curry Chicken. Well, it was so yummy that I actually made it twice in one week. The second time I made it for the Brinkley's and I got such a nice note from Justina about how good it was. " My face is melting cause this chicken is so good ". Ironically Matthew and his family came into town that same day and we met up later on for dinner. I was able to give him a double thumbs up for the great recipe, as well as I gave him the promised Charlotte Photography print.

Here is the recipe. The only thing I did the second time that I didn't do the first was eliminate the red pepper and carrot. I think I preferred it without. But, do your own experiment and let me know how it goes. I would love to have feedback.

Ingredients

2 T vegetable oil

2 t chopped garlic

2 T curry powder

3 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves cut into bite sized pieces

1 Large Red Pepper

1/2 Cup Carrot, grated.

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 t garlic salt

1 can unsweetened coconut milk (13.5-14 ounces)

1/3 cup chicken stock

Jasmine Rice

Directions

In a large skillet over medium heat, combine oil, garlic, and curry powder. Cook for 30-60 seconds, just long enough for the garlic to get infused into the oil and curry mixture.

Add the chicken, and cook for 10 minutes, or until juices run clear. Add the red pepper, carrot, brown sugar and garlic salt to the chicken and mix in. Add the coconut milk and chicken stock.

Reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While it is cooking prepare the rice according to the instructions on the package.

Bon Appetit!

Homemade Naan

I know it has been a few weeks since I made the naan. So it's about time I post pics and the recipe. It was GREAT! I used my kitchen aid mixer to make the dough and then let it rise all afternoon. TJ helped me roll them out and cook them. Unfortunately I don't have photos of the dinner - but we had over friends to have an Indian Cuisine that night. I believe the Naan was a hit! :-)

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume. (It took a lot longer than an house to rise for me - I just waited until it doubled in size)
2. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. (again, it took probably another hour for the balls to rise)
3. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat. (Now, it said grill - but I actually used a skillet and coated the pan with oil - worked great. We also tried it in the oven as well)
4. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.