Indeed no sir. I'm merely a humble butler. What exactly do you do? I buttle, sir.

Roommate and I have what some people may consider to be a ridiculous amount of cookbooks/cooking magazines.  I personally think it is a totally acceptable amount.  They only take up one small bookcase...

Whenever it is time to go grocery shopping, Roommate and I browse through the cookbooks, magazines, and Pinterest pins to come up with about two weeks worth of meals, and then shop accordingly.  When it comes to menu planning, I have two very distinct personalities.  For special occasions (holidays, friend get-togethers, German-themed surprise going-away parties, etc.) I like to have a plan.  And I like to have the plan in advance, which allows me to make my shopping list, and then remake it with regards to the various stores (and those stores' layouts...).  I also like to make a timeline describing what tasks need to be completed in what time in what order.  Even to me this seems a bit excessive, but it really is only for special occasions.  On a day-to-day basis, I am much more relaxed and tend to cook whatever strikes my fancy.  Today, my fancy was struck by curried chicken salad.  It was what I wanted, so it was what I made.

A quick internet search led me to a recipe from Ellie Krieger.  If you search "curried chicken salad" her recipe is the second one that pops up.  The first recipe was from Ina Garten, and while I usually really like her food, I decided against it solely because it required ingredients we did not currently have in the house (we just went grocery shopping, we have a ridiculous amount of food in our fridge, and I refuse to buy more until necessary).  The second recipe called only for ingredients we had on hand, including sliced grapes, so Ellie's recipe it was.

Now, the recipe calls for you to boil 1 1/4 lbs of chicken breast in a combination of water and chicken stock.  I don't really think boiling does anything to enhance the chicken, so I opted to oven roast it.  However you decided to cook the chicken, once it is done, cool it then chop it into cubes.  Toast some sliced almonds on the stove top, then set them aside.  In a bowl, whisk together some plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt), some mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip), and some curry powder.  I thought the sauce could have been a touch more creamy, so in the future I may mess with the yogurt-mayonnaise ratio.

Next, slice some grapes in half.  The recipe calls for 1 cup of halved grapes.  Roommate and I both love grapes in our chicken salad, so next time I will double the amount of grapes.  Then you chop up some cilantro.  If you are one of those people who dislike cilantro, I suppose you could substitute some other green leafy herb.  Or you could start liking cilantro - it is very tasty, and according to a New York Times article increasing your exposure to it will make you begin to at least not-hate it.  Add the chicken, almonds, grapes, and cilantro, to the curry sauce.

The original recipe calls for the almonds to be sprinkled on top.  I personally like the crunch of the almonds mixed throughout the salad, so that is what I did.  Stir everything together so everything is coated in the curry sauce, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Ellie says this should be served on salad greens that have been tossed with lemon juice and olive oil.  I am sure this would be very tasty.  This chicken salad would also make a nice sandwich.  However, some days you and your roommate may be extremely hungry, so when your roommate gets home from work you may make a joint decision to spoon some into a bowl and eat it as is.  And then each of you may decide that you want some more, especially with more grapes in it.  This may result in your recipe of chicken salad (rumored to be four servings) disappearing in one sitting.  Yes, it was that good.  The only problem with it is there were no leftovers.

Curried Chicken Salad
Adapted from Ellie Krieger

1 1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c sliced almonds
1/2 c nonfat plain Greek yogurt
2 T mayonnaise
1 tsp curry powder
1 c halved red grapes
1/4 c chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Cook the chicken using whatever method you prefer to use to cook chicken.  Set it aside to cool.
2.  In a small, dry (no oil/butter added) skillet over medium-high heat, toast the almonds until they are fragrant and beginning to turn golden-brown, about 2-3 minutes, stirring often.  Set aside.
3.  In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, and curry powder until smooth.
4.  Slice red grapes in half to make 1 c halved grapes.  Chop cilantro leaves to make 1/4 c.  Chop the chicken into cubes, 1/4-1/2" chunks (I had about 3 c of cubed chicken).  Add the chicken, almonds, grapes, and cilantro to the sauce in the bowl.  Stir everything together, so the sauce evenly coats all the ingredients and everything is evenly distributed.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serve atop salad greens, or on the bread of your choice, or just spoon some into a bowl and eat it as is.

The Verdict:
If you hadn't already noticed, we loved this.  I personally would like more grapes and perhaps a few more almonds, but those are personal preferences, and I would be more than happy to eat this recipe as is again and again.  Next time we may even try to make it to the "atop greens" or "on bread" part...

Chocolate Needs No Introduction

I do not know how many people I know.  But I do know how many people I know who dislike chocolate.  Three.  This number astounds me.  Chocolate is amazing.  Chocolate is wonderful.  Chocolate has healing powers - you try recovering from a dementor attack without it.

Chocolate is also surprisingly versatile.  Brownies, cakes, candies, cookies, drinks, fondue, frosting/icing, frozen yogurt, gelato, ice cream, pudding, sauces, and truffles can all be made with chocolate.  And yes, I know truffles are a type of candy.  In my opinion, truffles are candy nirvana - candy cannot be better than truffles.  And that is why they get a separate mention.  Because they are the best.

If that is not enough "diversity" for you, chocolate can also be incorporated into savory dishes.  Even Paula Deen says so.  Now, Paula Deen annoys me in many different ways.  The main way she annoys me is she doesn't seem real to me, she seems like a character versus a real person.  Fakeness annoys me.  Another way is her banana pudding recipe calls for boxed pudding.  WTF Paula?  A third is something that may not be entirely her fault, but she does nothing to stop it so I blame her anyway.  And what is this terrible, awful offense you may ask?  People give her credit for gooey butter cake.  Paula may make gooey butter cake, but she did not repeat did NOT come up with gooey butter cake.  Some baker from St. Louis made a fortuitous mistake and the world was gifted with gooey butter cake.  Toasted ravioli have a similar creation story, but that is clearly off-topic.  I believe in giving credit where credit is due.

Even though Paula irks me, I cannot deny that some of her recipes are worthwhile.  For example, Southwestern Chocolate Chili.  At first glance, this may seem very bizarre, but when you think about it, it makes sense.  Mole sauce is made with cocoa.  Chocolate with cayenne pepper is delicious.  And as it turns out, Southwestern Chocolate Chili is quite tasty.

The original recipe says it makes 8 to 10 servings. I decided to cut the recipe in half for three reasons:
1)  Roommate and I are only two people;
2)  Our fridge is currently stuffed to the gills with produce we got at amazing prices, leaving very little room for leftovers;
3)  We only bought half the amount of meat and beans the recipe called for.

You start with a boneless chuck roast, some poblano pepper, jalapeno pepper, onion, and garlic.  Trim and cube the meat, mince the produce:

I find the process of cutting a uncooked roast into cubes extremely time-consuming (I also felt a little bit like Dexter...), so I think that the next time I make this I may brown and cook the roast whole and then cut/shred it, since a properly cooked chuck roast just falls apart.  Either way, you brown the meat in some oil in a Dutch oven, remove the meat, and then saute the vegetables in the remaining oil.  Then you add the meat back in, add in the beans, beef broth, tomato sauce, cocoa powder, and spices:

Now, at this point the instructions say to cover and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  And normally, that is what I would do.  Instead, I got distracted, and casualties ensued.  The first casualty of my distraction was my photography: the above photo was the last one taken.  The second casualty was the chili itself.  Fortunately, this was not a fatality as the chili was only maimed, but it was a casualty nonetheless.  I forgot to stir the chili.  When this happens, especially on a gas stove top, chili has the tendency to burn.  And burn it did, but not horribly, so the chili was rescue-able.  The non-burnt portion was transferred to another pot, additional beef broth was added, and dinner was saved with a only sightly discernible charred flavor.  However, I do not think the char improves the chili, so if you make it, do not get distracted! 

For the record, my distraction was justified.  I got distracted by a neighbor who was in the process of getting me a job.  A grown-up job at that.  A weekdays only, weekends and holidays off job.  A job that is not super exciting but one that I will be able to do quite well.  And did I mention I get weekends off?

Southwestern Chocolate Chili

From Cooking With Paula Deen, January/February 2011

Serves 8 - 10 people

2 T vegetable oil

1 (4-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1/2" cubes

3 jalapenos, seeded and minced

2 poblanos, seeded and minced

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (32-ounce) carton beef broth

2 (15.5-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

2 T ground cumin

2 T chili powder

2 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1 T ground ancho chile pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 T fresh lime juice

Garnish: fresh cilantro (we also used sour cream, cheese, avocado, and chopped onion)

1.  In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add beef in batches, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove beef from Dutch oven, and set aside.  Add jalapenos, poblanos, onion, and garlic to Dutch oven; cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until tender.  Return beef to Dutch oven.  Add broth, pinto beans, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, cocoa powder, ancho chile pepper, and salt.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occaisionally.

2.  Uncover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Stir in lime juice.  Garnish with cilantro (and other toppings) if desired.

The Verdict:

Don't burn it, and it will be wonderful.  Serve with cornbread.  Chocolate goes with everything.

Bonus Round!

Because it is Valentine's Day, I feel compelled to offer something sweet and heart-shaped.  Therefore, I give you...

Nutella Brownies!!!!!

Nutella is another wonderful food item that comes to us from the fabulous world of chocolate.  It is a delightful chocolate-hazelnut spread.  It is lovely on bread or a bagel.  It compliments fruit quite nicely.  And, when combined with an egg and some flour, it makes delicious bite-sized brownies:

Nutella Brownies

From Lemon Drop who got it from Desserts 4 Today: Flavorful Desserts with Just Four Ingredients

1/2 cup Nutella

5 T flour

1 egg

1.  Preheat the oven to 350.  Line 12 mini muffin cups with paper or foil liners or spray with cooking spray.

2.  In a medium bowl, blend together all ingredients until smooth.  Spoon batter into prepared pans, filling cups 3/4 full.

3.  Bake 9-10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove brownies immediately from pan and let cool on a rack.

NOTE: I used heart-shaped mini muffin cups, and they must be smaller volume-wise, because it made 24.  I still cooked them for 9 minutes, probably could have done it in 7 or 8 because they were just slightly dry, but all in all, not bad for a 3 ingredient, 3 step brownie recipe.

Happy Valentine's Day!