FROM "EASY CURRIES" - PASS IT ON!

As I've mentioned before, I am notoriously slow on the uptake. The rule in our house has always been "he who cooks, doesn't have to clean up." After two months of living together, it just finally occurred to me that, since Lex really hates doing dishes in the evening after dinner, but doesn't mind cooking, and I really hate waking up to a dirty kitchen, maybe we should just switch jobs for a while. Brilliant! Plus, since she is newer to cooking than I, and doesn't take as much for granted as I do, she's more likely to notice stumbling blocks in these recipes, that need additional explanation. She had no trouble whatsoever with this one, so try it! Then pass it on - to at least 2 others.

Recipe #2 in our Food Revolution:
CHICKEN KORMA (serves 4-6)

1-3/4 lb. skinless chicken breasts, preferably free-range or organic
2 med. onions
1 fresh green chile (optional - depends on how spicy you like things)
a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger root
a small bunch of fresh cilantro
1 (15 oz.) can of garbanzo beans (aka chick peas)
peanut or vegetable oil
a pat of butter
1/2 c. korma or mild curry paste, such as Patak's (or you can make your own korma paste according to Jamie's recipe on p. 99, which is what Lex did - she was so proud of herself!)
1 (14 oz.) can of coconut milk
a small handful of sliced almonds, plus extra for serving
2 heaped tablespoons UN-sweetened shredded coconut
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 c. natural yogurt (plain)
1 lemon
rice

Prep: Prepare rice according to package directions. Cut chicken into one inch pieces, or thereabouts. Peel, halve, and finely slice your onions. Halve, seed, and finely slice the chile, if you're using one (wear plastic gloves while doing this, or you're gonna be really sorry, next time you touch your eyes or nostrils). Peel and finely chop the ginger. Pick the cilantro leaves and finely chop the stalks. Drain the garbanzo beans.

Cook: Place a large, deep, lidded frying pan or stock pot on med-hi heat and add a couple of glugs of oil (You know how, when you're pouring it out, it tends to go "glu-glu-glu...?" Well, two of those glu's.) When you start to see wavy shimmer lines in the oil, add the onions, chile, ginger and cilantro stalks, along with the butter. Keep stirring it just enough so it doesn't catch and burn, but turns evenly golden, for around 10 minutes. Add the curry paste, coconut milk, half your sliced almonds, the drained garbanzo beans, shredded coconut, and the sliced chicken. Half fill the empty bean can with water and add that to the pan. Stir again. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to med-low and simmer for about 30 minutes, with the lid on. Check regularly to make sure it's not drying out, and add extra water if necessary. When the chicken is tender and cooked through, taste and season carefully with salt and pepper.

Serve: Place a mound of fluffy rice on each place, then top with a ladleful of the Chicken Korma. Add a few spoonfuls of natural yogurt dolloped on top, and sprinkle over the rest of the sliced almonds. Finish by scattering over the cilantro leaves, and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.