I eat, I read, I watch — dining solo #19
Almond Butter Chicken Korma
I eat, I read, I watch — dining solo #19
Today’s post is the 19th of “I eat, I read, I watch,” my column highlighting one of my solo dinners and my reading or watching accompaniments. Please treat yourself well at mealtime too. Don’t just eat alone - dine solo! You’re worth it. And it’s not hard to do.
Missed the earlier instalments? See the list at the bottom of the post:
I eat: Cashew Almond Butter Chicken Korma
I have been hooked on Wordle for a while now, free from the New York Times. I’ve dabbled in their Spelling Bee too but non-subscribers get only a teaser. That same news outlet has been tantalizing me with food pix with recipes behind a paywall. So finally I broke down. I’m a full-on Spelling Bee addict with access to those excellent NYT recipes too. Really does it get any better!
So when the Times sent me a Cashew Butter Chicken Korma recipe, I had no choice. One Friday night after the fifth questionable evening meal of the week, I hopped in the car to get the ingredients specifically for this recipe with only one substitution - my local place didn’t have cashew butter. This was exciting because lately I’ve been more of a “I’ll buy staples” kind of shopper, which, frankly, has resulted in those questionable meals.
Saturday, I eagerly anticipated following a recipe for dinner. Sure, I love the freestyle approach but how luxurious to let someone else do the thinking for me!
It began, as all good meals do, with a diced onion sautéing in oil. This time though, it was accompanied by some cumin seeds and chopped garlic and ginger. While that combo did its sizzling thing, I cubed $17 worth of 8 boneless, skinless, antibiotic-free chicken thighs. It was the first time I’d bought a package of them in a while and I was a bit shocked at the price. I’m glad I’m not trying to feed a family.
Around that time, I got some basmati rice cooking. I added a few bits of saffron mostly because I just rediscovered it in the cupboard, a gift from my Persian tenants gave me nearly a year ago. I’m a bit ashamed I’ve let it languish. Food’s meant for eating!
After 15 minutes, and all the pink in the chicken gone, I added half a can of roma tomatoes, 3/4 tsp of chilli, 1/2 tsp turmeric, and some salt. A bit of stirring and 7 minutes later, I added 3 tbsp of greek yogurt and 2 tbsp of almond butter. Once that was all mixed in, I added about a cup of frozen green peas. After a few minutes, I turned it off and drizzled in a little heavy cream, just because I could.
With a warmed roti shell, this korma was great on rice with a dollop of lime pickle on the side.
Here’s the source recipe, should you want to try it:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026005-cashew-butter-chicken-korma?smid=bsky-nytimes
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Origin: Where possible, all Canadian. Chicken, dairy, onion are easy. Hard to get spices and nuts that are Canadian grown, though.
Cost: $17 + assorted items on hand - 4 meals
Favourite new recipe? In the Comments below please!
I read: Black Widow: A Sad-Funny Journey Through Grief for People Who Normally Avoid Books with Words Like “Journey” in the Title
Leslie Gray Streeter has written a helluva title - I suspect most publishers would say it’s a little long — but I made me pick it up and I’m sure many others too, so mission accomplished! The book delivers on its promise. I read this on a Saturday in March when, spent from a very busy workweek, I chose to cancel all social plans and curl up in Chandlerville’s cosy second floor lounge. With morning rain falling sympathetically on the skylights above me, I lay under my afghan crying as Streeter tells of the heart attack that killed Scott, her husband of only five years, and the year that followed.
Streeter’s story differs from mine in many ways- their’s was an interracial marriage; they were in the process of adopting their son at the time of Scott’s death; his death was unexpected; and she was a decade younger than I was when Jack died.
But some aspects of widowhood transcend all that. She made me laugh many times, but the day’s reading marathon left me with damp Kleenex piled on the floor beside the couch. Some of her best lines:
“I don’t remember everything that happens in the first week or so after Scott died. Grief doesn’t break just your heart - it breaks your brain.”
“It’s all on me. It always was, for most of my life, and when I married Scott I was comforted that I now had a copilot and it was never going to be just on me again. But here we are.”
“I don’t think until we’ve really settled into the house that it becomes plain just how much I needed to move ,how much pain and memory I had been holding there physically; how impossible it had been for me to move on before we actually moved.”
Check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
Got a reading recommendation? Add it to the Comments below.
I watch: Great British Baking Show
It’s official - I’ve given up Netflix. Time to wean myself off US media. I’ve signed up for BritBox and I’ve set myself up with a GEM account. Right now, I’m motoring through a few seasons of The Great British Baking Show. Sure, we have the Canadian equivalent and I’ve watched it too, but the British one is funnier and, well, they have a larger pool of talent to draw from so of course, their signature bakes, technicals, and showstoppers are just a little bit more impressive. Plus they make weird shit like “lardy cakes.” Really, who ever heard of such a thing? And I’m from English parents!
Have you found anything worth sharing? In the Comments below please!
Missed the earlier instalments of this column? Click:
#1 (pork chop & green beans)
#2 (trout & veg)
#3 (shrimp pepper bisque)
#4 (rice & peas with coleslaw)
#5 (ramen)
#6 (burger & fries)
#7 (duck sausage & salad),
#8 (shrimp & veg with pasta)
#9 (Wigilia)
#10 (mushroom shepherds pie)
#11 (roasted veg and sausage)
#12 (leftovers)
#13 (garlic shrimp with rapini on egg noodles)
#14 (beef stew)
#15 (salmon mac and cheese)
#16 (salmon cakes and ragout)
#17 (pork tenderloin, red cabbage, potatoes)
#18 (pulled turkey and salad)
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