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January 31, 2005

Tandoori Chicken with Dirty Rice and Green Beans

I'd like to think that I could be a good cook if I ever set my mind to it. I've had success to varying degrees throughout my life with the culinary arts, but find it difficult to consistently cook for myself. In NYC many times it's easier (if not more satisfying) to just eat out. I have a few reliable Chinese dishes (Mei Fun, Chicken & Shrimp with Mixed Vegetables, Sesame Chicken with Vegetable Fried Rice... all usually with a side of onion rings...) that I rotate with the occassional "Voila" meal (an all in one "meal in a bag" type of thing... available in your local frozen goods section. Throw it in a pan, wait 10 minutes and you have a decent enough meal with only one pot/one plate/one fork to clean.). As distasteful as this combination might seem to most, it's actually a step up from the days when I varied my rotation with McDonalds & Taco Bell. Comparatively speaking, I now eat down right healthy.

To make a long story short, I've begun to cook again of late. I wanted to document the process so that I remember which recipes I like, which recipes I don't, and hopefully find an effective way to do this consistently.

To that end, my first documented recipe:

Tandoori Chicken with Dirty Rice & Green Beans
Ingredients:
  Chicken (thin sliced)
  Tandoori Sauce
  Liptons Dirty Rice
  Chopped Onion
  Chopped Garlic
  Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  Sofrito (Goya is good...)

I have a terrible track record with fresh meats & vegetables. The process is usually as follows:


  • Make resolution to cook at home more.
  • Visit grocery store. Purchase lots of fresh meat & vegetables.
  • Return home. Cook. Put rest of food in refridgerator.
  • Enjoy home cooked meal! Yummy! Cooking is fun!
  • Wait two months. Notice questionable odor...
  • Remove decaying food from fridge.
  • Rinse. Repeat.

I'm learning slowly but surely that the way to avoid this is
  a.)Make sure you always have freezer bags on hand.
  b.)Freeze your meat immediately upon coming home from the store, and
  c.)Marinade your meat before you freeze it (preferable overnight...)

Making Tandoori Chicken with Dirty Rice & Green Beans:


  • Marinade chicken in sauce overnight then freeze if not using immediately
  • Defrost chicken in microwave if necessary.
  • Cook rice as per instructions (takes about 10 minutes)
  • Open can of green beans. Throw vegetables in small pan. Add one teaspoon Sofrito. Season to taste with Curry/Ginger/Garlic/etc. Cook over low heat till all bubbly! (You know it's hot if it's bubbly!)
  • Saute onion & Garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes. (Cooks down the onion and seasons the oil...)
  • Toss in the chicken. Stir & mix with onions and garlic. Cover to retain juicy chicken goodness!
  • By the time your rice is done, your chicken should be through cooking. Make sure to cut into the chicken to check for pinkness. Salmonella bad!

Ok, it's not fancy and technically it's probably not even a recipe as much as it is a process. But it's a start, right? (For the record it wasn't too bad, though I'd probably substitute some other pasta/rice side for the Dirty Rice... a few too many of the same flavors mingled together. Would have been better with some contrast.)

Posted by Thomas at January 31, 2005 06:58 PM

Comments

I was wondering if you might send me your Mei Fun recipe. I've been searching all over for something that sounds like my favorite chinese restaurant but have been unsuccessful. Hope you can help. Thanks.

Posted by: catcupo1 [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 31, 2006 07:51 PM

Wow... my first comment from someone other than the two (possibly three) readers of my blog! Welcome to you! Alas, the only Mei Fun that I've ever had has been from the local Chinese place. Good luck in your search though, and thanks for the comment!

Posted by: Thomas [TypeKey Profile Page] at April 1, 2006 02:56 PM

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