Yum, yum

Kent is the true Indian/Thai cook in our house—it’s kind of funny that a pale, red-headed man born in Arkansas would be so good at cooking curries and stuff but he really is. However I’m no slouch myself and after our trip to England where we were both less than diligent about healthy eating, I decided to make some food that at least gives a nod to India even if it’s not all that authentic.

I have an old curry-glazed recipe from my mother that I’ve altered so it’s lower in fat; for last night I didn’t want much meat so I used one boneless, skinless chicken thigh diced into pieces and quickly sautéed, a cup of cooked brown rice with one tablespoon each of a good, hot curry powder and honey. The heat from the cooked rice and the bits of chicken help the honey thin out so it coats all the rice really well.

Then for side dishes, I found this recipe online. It’s AMAZING is all I can say—even Kent, who doesn’t really like carrots—loved it and wanted more. I didn’t put in the peanuts (didn’t have any and also that’s calories we didn’t need) but everything else was the same. I used a microplane to shred the carrots which was labor-intensive but I think the texture is better than with a food processor. If you make it, be aware that it's most definitely spicy so if you don't like it hot, dial down the cayenne.

And I made a cucumber salad with yogurt and mint which was also fantastic. These were easy, cheap and healthy dishes and really hit the spot last night.

Tonight I’m making chili-dusted black beans with avocado. I think tomorrow night will be some sort of Italian pasta salad and then later this week I’ll use up the rest of the rice and make a stir fry.

Hungry yet?