Easy Chicken Curry

I use this recipe for a quick easy and tasty meal.  I usually get a rotisserie chicken for this but any left-over chicken or even turkey will work.  I also use cooked rice in this version.

2 cups of cooked rice

1 -2 cups of cooked chicken – cut up or torn into bite size pieces.

1 stock of celery diced

½ of an onion –diced

1 teaspoon Madras Curry

Olive Oil and butter

Heat a skillet to medium and add the oil.  Heat the oil and then add the celery and onions sautéing until tender.  Add the chicken and cook until the chicken is hot.  Add the curry powder and stir.  The curry will want to stick to the pan.  That is ok for a few minutes.  After that deglaze the pan with ¼ cup of Dry Vermouth.  Reduce the Vermouth – add the rice to heat.  Just before serving add about a tablespoon of butter and stir in.  Take off the heat and serve. 

Note – go easy on the Curry until you taste the dish.  Too much will be bitter and overpower the rest.  Better to add – you can’t remove it.

Great Cake for Summer

SIMPLE EASY CAKE

This recipe will make a 9 x 9 cake.  It can be doubled.  I looked at many recipes and after several trials and outcomes this was the best.

Preheat the oven to 350 f - spray a 9 x 9 pan with food release spray.

Have all ingredients at room temperature

½ cup of unsalted butter

1 cup of sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon of good vanilla

Cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Then add the eggs one at a time.  I crack the eggs into a small bowl to make sure that no shell gets in the cake.  It also makes it easier to add the eggs.  Make sure that the first egg is fully incorporated before adding the second one.  Scrape down the bowl and add the vanilla

Sift the following together

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼  teaspoon Lemon Zest

Add to the wet mixture with the mixer on low and mix just until it is mixed in.  Then add

½ cup milk.  Mix until the batter comes together – about 1 minute.  Scrape down the bowl and place in the prepared pan.  The batter is thicker than a normal cake batter.  Tap on the counter to release any bubbles.

Bake for 30 minutes

Cool completely before you cut into it.  You can split the pieces of cake and add fresh fruit and whipped cream, or you can ice the cake.  Simple easy and tasty!

© Wes Davis 2012 – all right reserved

Lemon Meringue Pie

From my cook book - a Great Pie for a Summer Dinner

BERNADINE’S LUSCIOUS LEMON PIE

My mother’s best friend Bernadine created this recipe before the days of mixes.  She died of cancer when I was only four, but I do remember her and this pie.  Mom made this several times for special occasions and it was the first recipe that she taught me.  Simple yet rich and good.

Makes one 9” pie

INGREDIENTS

Juice from 1 ½ lemons

2 ¼      Cups water

1          Cup Sugar

2          Heaping tablespoons of corn starch

3          Egg yolks – beaten

1          Tablespoon Butter

Combine the first four ingredients in a non reactive double boiler and stir until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved.   Add the egg yolks whisking over medium heat. Cook until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter.  Pour into a cooled 9” pie crust.  

At this point I prefer to chill the pie and add the meringue later.  However you can add it now and then chill the pie. 

MERINGUE

3          egg whites – at room temperature

6          tablespoons sugar

Lemon zest or curls for decorating

Whisk the egg whites and slowly add the sugar making sure that the sugar is incorporated.  Beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks.  Place meringue on pie using a spatula to cover all the edges and make peaks by touching the spatula to mixture lightly and then lifting up.  Place pie under a hot broiler for 5 – 7 minutes or until the peaks are golden brown.  Remove the pie and sprinkle with the zest.  If the pie was not chilled before then set in the refrigerator for at lest 1 hour.

From Aunt B’s Bordello and Boardinghouse – An Eclectic Collection of Great Recipes

© 2011 Wes Davis – all rights reserved – used with permission.