Ruth Reichl's Food Cart Curry Chicken

"The entire city smells like curry. Passing the fourth halal chicken cart, I can't resist. Spicy, tangy, irresistible. The taste of now."_Ruth Reichl

I love New York City. It's full of inspiration. The sights, the sounds, the smells. It's a place where anything is possible. You can feel the excitement in the air. I'd even say you can feel the excitement pulsing through you.

I love everything about the city, but naturally, I am drawn to all the food possibilities. It seems as though NYC is the food mecca of the world and every type of cuisine is at your fingertips.

A quick walk through the city will reveal food cart upon food cart selling fragrant and aromatic curry chicken. Tempting you at every turn, it is likely you will have to pass several before you arrive at your destination. I can't tell you how many carts I passed without ever getting a taste, but I can tell you it was pretty much torture.

For some reason, we were just too busy or too full or in a hurry and we never got a chance to give it a try. So, I was very pleased when I saw a recipe for the Food Cart Curry Chicken in Ruth's My Kitchen Year because now I would finally be able to try it!

Clearly, I have been missing out because Food Cart Curry Chicken is delicious. Marinated in a fragrant spice paste with onions, curry chicken is oh so tender and flavorful. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was mildly spiced and just plain delightful over rice. I can totally see the appeal and after taking one bite I can see why it's sold at every corner.


Bottom line is....Food Cart Curry Chicken is something I think just about anyone would love, very family friendly, and this recipe is perfection. I highly recommend giving it a try!

Food Cart Curry Chicken

Adapted from My Kitchen Year

by Ruth Reichl

Serves 4

1 pound chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)*

1 tablespoon curry powder

fresh oregano

1/2 onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 lemon

1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

salt and pepper, to taste

vegetable oil

Note: I used boneless skinless chicken breast because it was what I had on hand it worked perfectly.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks, and slice the onion into thin rings/slices.  

Make a paste by combining the olive oil with 1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, the coriander seeds, the garlic, the curry powder, a sprig of oregano, the paprika, the cumin, and a teaspoon of salt in a spice grinder or a blender. Give it a whirl, then grind in copious amounts of black pepper.

Put the onions and chicken into a plastic bag, pour in the marinade, and squish it all round so the onions and chicken are thoroughly coated. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. (Note: I marinated mine for 4 hours exactly and it was extremely tender).

Sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Slick a heavy pan or wok with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and cook the onions and chicken for about 5 minutes, tossing every minute or so. It will splutter a bit, and it will smell so delicious you'll be snatching pieces from the pan.

Serve over white rice. I always asked for my chicken without the white sauce they have at the carts, but if you must have it, combine equal parts of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt, then add a dollop of sugar, salt and pepper, and a splash of vinegar. Personally, I think a righteous red hot sauce is far more delicious.

My Top Five Ruth Reichl Recipes!

We are wrapping up our time with Ruth Reichl at I Heart Cooking Clubs. I've made some really fun and different recipes with Ruth and I've definitely really enjoyed my time in the kitchen with her. These are my top five Ruth Reichl favorites, in order.

(Click on the recipe title for the recipe and original post)

Ruth's Cheddar and Garlic Twice-Baked Potatoes

Number Five: Ruth's Cheddar and Garlic Twice-Baked Potatoes. I've made a lot of twice-baked potatoes in my time and these are among my favorites. We love the hint of garlic and all the proportions are just right. These are a perfect side dish for a special meal.

Ruth's Food Cart Curry Chicken

Number Four: Ruth's Food Cart Curry Chicken. A New York City food cart specialty and a busy cook's best friend. This is a delicious weeknight chicken dish that is perfect family food. The chicken is tender and flavorful, but mild enough to be kid-friendly. I highly recommend this one!

Ruth's Parmesan Walnut Salad In Endive Leaves

Number Three: Ruth's Parmesan Walnut Salad In Endive Leaves. This was the very first Ruth Reichl recipe I made and it stuck with me ever since. This is a beautiful appetizer, or spread, for any party or gathering. The colors are gorgeous and the flavors are fresh and bright. I love the crunch from the walnuts against the chewiness of the cheese and the crispness of the endive leaf. It's a little creamy, but light. It's healthy and a little indulgent. It's just perfectly balanced. This would be a great dish to take to any potluck!

Ruth's Shirred Eggs Over Potato Puree

Number Two: Ruth's Shirred Eggs Over Potato Puree. Um, creamy mashed potatoes with an ooey gooey egg on top? Yes, oh my word, yes. Pure bliss. Total comfort food. Please make this!

Ruth's Baked Cheddar Olives

Number One: Ruth's Baked Cheddar Olives. A retro recipe if there ever was one. Here is a dish that was present at many women's bridge parties in the 1950s. I wasn't sure what to expect with this recipe, but it was so different and I just knew I had to give it a try. I was mind blown by how delicious these were! The dough bakes up around the olive like a cheese cracker and these are the most addictive little devils. I absolutely LOVE this recipe and I think you should make them for every single party until the end of time! Baked Cheddar Olives for everyone, for ever and ever.

My Top Ten Favorites of 2019!

It's been a rough week or so in The Stirring The Pot household. I came down with both a sinus and ear infection, plus bronchitis, then I wasn't quite recovered from that before I came down with the stomach bug. I was still coughing and recovering from the stomach bug when I came down with a fever. So, I've spent the weekend sleeping and resting and can now say that I finally feel as though I'm on the mend.

We're supposed to be making dishes with ingredients we're thankful for, but I didn't quite feel like getting back in the kitchen, so I'm going to be sharing My Top Ten Favorites of 2019, all of which I'm very thankful for!

(click on the recipe title to be directed to the original post with recipe)

Mark Bittman's Minimalist Chicken Wings

These may very well be my favorite recipe of 2019. They are the best chicken wings I've ever had, hands down. Cooked under a broiler, they are perfectly crispy on the outside and so very tender and juicy inside. Plus, Bittman's homemade buffalo sauce is complete perfection, flavorful and garlicky.

Yotam Ottolenghi's Caramelized Garlic Tart

Surely this is not the first time you're seeing this famous tart. Do yourself a favor and make it.

Jacques and Julia's Garlic Mashed Potatoes

These should speak for themselves. I mean if Jacques Pepin and Julia Child got together and created  a mashed potato recipe, then you already know it's gonna be THE ONE. Add in some homemade garlic powder, which has been one of my favorite ingredients to cook with this year, and you have a winner.

Giada's Lemon White Pizza

This pizza had me dreaming I was on a cliffside surrounded by good looking Italian men somewhere on the Amalfi coast (hey, Amalfi is know for its lemons, is it not)? If you love white pizza, this pizza is for you. Cheesy, with a hint of spice, lemon, and fresh basil. It's simply light and luscious.

Ina Garten's Plum Tart

Ina is known for being the Queen of Chicken, but I've also crowned her the Queen of Plum Desserts. Have you ever looked at the sheer number of plum desserts she has? No, well you need to. Then you need to come around to plums and realize that they make for one of the most amazing fruity desserts around, with their ability to be both sweet and sour. This recipe is a major winner! Sweet, sour, juicy plums topped off with a hefty dose of nutty crumble. This dessert is a dream!

Yotam Ottolenghi's Hummus with Ful

Homemade hummus is one of the best dishes there is, as far as I'm concerned. And, if you're going to make it, then turn to no one other than Yotam Ottolenghi. Make his Hummus Kawarma with lemon sauce and crispy bits of ground lamb, which is oh so heavenly, OR make this Hummus with Ful, which is really like having two bean dips in one. Either way, you're in for a velvety delicious dip that has the most wonderful mouth feel! One of the best things on the planet for sure!

Ina Garten's Crusty Baked Potatoes with Whipped Feta Topping

This dish is another one that is at the very top of the list. In fact, of the two potato dishes in this roundup, this one is my favorite! First, you have a crusty baked potato skin coated in herbs and spices and then you fill it with a whipped feta topping?  It's total perfection. In fact, the potato never had it so good. This is quite easily the most flavor a potato has ever had. In fact, I'm adding the ingredients to my grocery list as we speak.

Tessa's Omeleta Horiatiki (with Potato, Feta, and Oregano)

This is one of those dishes that you make and you know it's going to be good, but then you end up being absolutely blown away. This is hands down my favorite frittata dish. The reason: the sliced potatoes slide to the bottom of the pan and create a crispy potato layer on the bottom. Plus, feta cheese is my favorite. I look for any reason to eat some feta (see above). However, this dish would be easy enough to change up. Keep the potatoes and add different veggies, cheeses, and herbs. Delicious!

Ruth Reichl's Food Cart Curry Chicken

When I posted this recipe I said, "The bottom line is...Food Cart Curry Chicken is something I think just about anyone would love, very family-friendly, and this recipe is perfection. I highly recommend giving it a try!' I still stand by this. I think it could be part of every home cook's go-to chicken dishes!

Ruth Reichl's Baked Cheddar Olives

This recipe for Baked Cheddar Olives is just special. It was my very favorite Ruth Reichl recipe and is one of my very favorite recipes of this year, if not the favorite. It's retro, it's fun, and it's so delicious! The best part is, it's cheap, easy, and made with pantry ingredients. Think of these like a cheesy cracker wrapped around a juicy little tangy olive. Absolutely perfect for the upcoming holidays! Once you pop 'em, you can't stop.

Can't wait to see what amazing dishes come out of The Stirring The Pot kitchen in 2020!

Ina Garten's Hot Chocolate {Perfect for Snowmageddon 2021}

As I write this, I'm listening to the sound of icicles fall from the roof and plunge to the ground. It's not a sound I'm used to hearing around these parts. We're coming off of a pretty huge winter storm for Kentucky, several inches of snow and ice. Enough to close the schools for two weeks!

I am in no way complaining. I grew up in northeast Ohio, in the snow belt, and I really miss a good snow like this. Plus, I was perfectly warm and safe in my home for the duration. The people of Texas weren't as lucky. God Bless Texas!

A month or so ago, Deb and I chose Hot Chocolate Celebration for this week's theme at our cooking club, I Heart Cooking Clubs. Innocently enough, we thought it would be a good time to enjoy hot cocoa simply because it's always so cold in February. Little did we know that Snowmageddon 2021 was coming! It ended up being the perfect time for a warm and comforting cup of hot chocolate.

Ina's hot chocolate is delicious. I mean I knew it would be. Of course, I altered the recipe somewhat because in typical Ina fashion it was a little over the top. Ina uses whole milk and half and half and two kinds of chocolate: bittersweet and milk chocolate. She flavors the hot chocolate with vanilla extract, sugar, coffee, and then garnishes the hot cocoa with a vanilla bean and/or a cinnamon stick.

I was okay with the whole milk and half and half since this is my one and only splurge for the week. I was okay with the two chocolates and the vanilla extract. In truth, I was okay with all of it except the coffee, because truthfully I don't care for coffee and never have. But then I added the vanilla beans to my cart and realized they were $9.99 a piece! Nope, not okay with a $10+ cup of hot chocolate. Sorry, Ina.

So, I changed the recipe to suit my needs and it basically amounts to whole milk, half and half, bittersweet chocolate, milk chocolate, sugar and vanilla extract. You know what? It was thick and creamy and oh so delicious. I didn't even miss the $10 vanilla bean garnish. I ended up garnishing it with a healthy dose of whipped cream and grated chocolate, which I think is a much better garnish than a vanilla bean.

Of course, I had to drink my hot chocolate in my one and only coffee mug that I inherited from my Aunt Jenny, my mom's sister. Aunt Jenny was my idol and funny enough, she never swore, always saying "oh sugar" when something went wrong or she got upset. I'm not entirely sure how she ended up with this mug, but I do love it.

 

Hot Chocolate

Adapted from Food Network

Recipe by Ina Garten

Serves 4

2-1/2 cups whole milk

2 cups half and half

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoon sugar

1teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee powder*

4 to 5 vanilla beans or cinnamon sticks, for garnish* 

Heat the milk and half and half in a saucepan on medium heat to just below the simmering point. Remove the pan from the heat and add both chocolates. When the chocolates are melted, add the sugar, vanilla extract, and espresso and whisk vigorously. Reheat gently and serve immediately. Use a vanilla bean or cinnamon stick to garnish each serving.

Hummingbird Cupcakes for My Girl Paula

Years ago I lost my copy of The Lady & Sons, Too! at the grocery store. It was a much-loved copy complete with food stains, dog-ears, and hand-written notes. I left it in the grocery cart during checkout and apparently someone else took it home. When I discovered there was a blogging group called My Girl Paula, I knew it was time to join and repurchase the book. I am so excited to say that I was able to purchase a copy of the book for just $.79 from Amazon! The book and shipping were only $4.29 and I couldn't have been any happier!

Last week, we made basil grilled chicken, which was fabulous, and a total keeper! This week, we are making Paula's Hummingbird Cake, which I made into cupcakes! If you've never had Hummingbird Cake before, then you are seriously missing out! These cupcakes were delicious! The cake is full of chopped pecans, mashed banana, and crushed pineapple. Add the cream cheese frosting and you are in heaven! My husband gave these his top rating, along with my in-law's, and all the girlies at work!! Thanks Paula!

Hummingbird Cake- adapted from Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons, Too!

Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1-3/4 cup mashed bananas
One 8-oz. can crushed pineapple, with juice
1 cup chopped pecans
1-1/2 tsps. vanilla extract

Frosting:
One 8-oz. package cream cheese, at room temp
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temp
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans (For cupcakes use cupcake/muffin liners or grease and flour cupcake pans) For the cake, in a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the eggs and oil and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not beat. Stir in the banana, the pineapple and its juice, the pecans, and the vanilla.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 23-28 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. (For cupcakes, this recipe made 24 cupcakes which were baked for 25- 30 minutes). Cool the cake layers in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely.

While the cake cools, make the frosting: In a bowl, blend together the cream cheese and butter. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Stir in the pecans, or reserve them to sprinkle over the frosted cake. Fill and frost the cake.

Head on over to My Girl Paula to see how others enjoyed this cake. Next Monday, we will be making Paula's Black Bean Dip!

Screen Doors and Sweet Tea: Blue Cheese Pecan Bread

I've been stalking the cookbook section of the local library lately. And when I say stalking, I really mean it. Sometimes I wonder what the folks up there think of me as I stumble up to the counter carrying as many cookbooks as possible. Yesterday I managed to carry fifteen books in my hands. It was nearly impossible, but oh so worth it. If I could only get my hands on the librarian's push cart they would really be in trouble!

Anyway, you can't beat the library when it comes to taking home loads and loads of cookbooks.....for free! It really gets my adrenaline flowing...can ya tell? Enough about all that. One of the cookbooks that I smuggled is called Screen Doors and Sweet Tea by Martha Hall Foose. I liked it so much that I renewed it again just yesterday.

Martha is the executive chef at Viking Cooking School and teaches thousands of home cooks every year. Martha is from the Mississippi Delta and her recipes feature Southern cooking, but with a contemporary flair. For example, Martha enhances her Sweet Potato Soup with coconut milk and curry powder. Her Blackberry Limeade gets a lift from cardamom. Martha reinvents Southern Sweet Tea by turning it into a pie ----yes, Sweet Tea Pie! I'd love to have a slice of that! In addition, each recipe is laced with stories, both humorous and touching. It really is a fabulous cookbook.

From the Hot From The Oven Chapter, I made Martha's Blue Cheese Pecan Bread. I had some blue cheese to use up and this sounded like a unique and fun recipe to try.

Blue Cheese Pecan Bread
Adapted from Screen Doors and Sweet Tea
Makes one 8-inch Round Loaf
Martha Says-
"Whether serving this at your next gathering or presenting it as a gift, you will enjoy the ease in preparing this plump, savory round. I love this bread sliced thin and toasted, served with a glass of white wine. Ring the doorbell with your elbow and present the hostess with a bottle of wine and this bread, and you will most likely be invited back."
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut in 1/2 inch pieces, chilled
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1-1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like oatmeal. Add the cheese and nuts, and toss to distribute in the flour. Make a well in the center and add 1-1/2 cups of the buttermilk and the egg. Stir with a sturdy spoon until you have a shaggy dough.

Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently to bring together. Form into a slightly flattened 6 inch round. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk and sprinkle with pepper. With a serrated knife, cut a shallow X in the top of the loaf.

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375F and bake for 35 minutes, or until the loaf is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom. Cool on a wire rack.


Results/Notes: I love that this is such a unique quick bread, one that I've never heard of or tried before. It was quick and easy to put together and resembles the consistency of a biscuit, which is really nice. The pecans sprinkled throughout the bread are crunchy and the blue cheese melts into the bread giving it just a hint of blue cheese flavor. I'm really enjoying this bread plain or with a little bit of butter. Martha recommends serving it with white wine and/or sliced Granny Smith apples and red grapes. I would make this again to serve at a party alongside a cheeseboard or fruit platter. With the black pepper sprinkled on top it is a very pretty loaf of bread.

Other bookmarked recipes include:
Blackberry Limeade
Comeback Sauce
Pimento Cheese
Apron String Biscuits with Tomato Gravy
Delta Cream Doughnuts
Biloxi Banana Bread
Polka Dot Shortbread
Brown Sugar Angel Food Cake
Sweet Tea Pie
Darkness on the Delta
Ponchatoula Strawberry Cupcakes
Swimming Pool Orange Sherbet
and......Buttermilk Peach Ice Cream

If only I could eat them all!