The Lunch Ladies

Some of you may or may not know that a group of my friends and I get together each Friday and make lunch. One of us hosts the luncheon. It’s a great way to get together and talk as women can only do. Oh, and to eat great food. This week it was my turn. Maybe you’ll like some of the recipes I tried….

Today’s Menu—Chicken Curry, Mango Slices, Green Salad, Raspberry Squares

The chicken curry recipe is from Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals first book. This picture is exactly how it will look--minus the zucchini. Now, I love Rachel Ray’s recipes, but I haven’t always loved her. A few years ago we got satellite TV so I was officially hooked up to the Food Network channel. Ah, sweetness! Being a foody, I immediately started watching that channel as often as I could. I noticed this show called “30-Minute Meals.” What I also noticed was the host’s mannerisms—her tone of voice, her hand gestures, her silly made up words. Ew, I couldn’t watch it! Over the next few weeks I kept coming back to the show because I sure needed tips on getting dinner on the table fast. Slowly, I didn’t mind Rachel Ray so much! I even liked her and her silliness eventually. I brought this up today at lunch and we had a good laugh. A good laugh because we were likening it to sin. (A stretch yes, but stick with me.) At first we are repulsed by sin. Then we tolerate it, then we accept it. Then we enjoy it. Then we never saw the harm in the first place. Oh yes, there is a gospel lesson to be learned even from watching a cooking show.

Chicken Curry
Here’s my version of Rachel Ray’s Curry in a Hurry. I add yogurt to make a creamy and thick sauce. Please don’t substitute curry powder for the curry paste. It won’t even be the same dish. And don’t skip out on the mango chutney! That’s where the sweetness comes from. This is what I make when I’m craving dinner at Bombay House. Best of all, it’s done in 30 minutes or less!
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs or a combination of both, cut into chunky pieces and dusted with a handful of flour
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 piece of fresh gingerroot, about 2 inches, peeled and grated (optional)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons flour
1-2 cups canned chicken broth
3 tablespoons mild curry paste (found on the international aisle of grocery store, I like Patak’s)
¼ cup golden raisins
2-3 tablespoons mango chutney (found on the condiment aisle)
½ cup lowfat or whole milk plain yogurt
¼ cup chopped cilantro
hot cooked rice, preferably Basmati rice

In a large skillet working over medium-high heat, brown the chicken four minutes on each side in the vegetable oil. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Add the onion, ginger, and red bell pepper to now empty pan. Saute for 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Add the two tablespoons of flour and cook 3-4 minutes to get rid of the “floury” taste. Add one cup of chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan until all the browned bits come off. Return the chicken to the pan. Simmer another 5 minutes. Add yogurt, mango chutney, and cilantro. Serve hot over rice.

Raspberry Squares
My favorite cookbook in the whole world has got to be The New Best Recipe by the editor’s of Cooks Illustrated. Over a 1,000 recipes that have never failed me yet. (Not that I’ve tried all 1,000—yet!) The recipe says this makes 36. Huh? I don’t think so! I cut them into 12 squares and us lunch ladies at the whole pan! Of course I don’t like nuts in my desserts so I omitted them.
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups quick oats
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup finely chopped pecans or almonds (optional)
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) softened butter, cut into chunks
1 cup raspberry preserves

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. (The foil will essentially be lifted out of the pan after baking so you can cut the squares.)


2. Combine the flour, oats, sugars, soda, salt, and nuts in a mixer. Add the butter, one piece at a time and mix about 2 minutes—until the mixture resembles wet sand.


3. Transfer two thirds of the oat mixture into your prepared pan. Pat down with your hand. Bake for 20 minutes. Spread the raspberry preserves over the bottom of the hot oat mixture. Then sprinkle the remaining oat mixture on top. Bake another 30 minutes. Cool, remove from the pan, cut and eat!