Day 20, chicken curry verdict

Today is the chicken curry verdict. But before I get to that, let me fill you in on today's happenings. Not much sleep- again! Yes, bubby did wake a couple of times. However, it was my back that kept me awake. No words to describe the pain. By morning, I was shattered tired. A beautiful friend who I haven't seen for months wanted to walk with me this morning. We used to do our walkie talkies a lot until I got too pregnant and sore. At 2:55am I had to text to cancel our early morning catch up. Thankfully, she is (a) smart like me and probably has her phone on silent of a night, and (b) a mother as well so appreciates that even the best plans can go pear shaped at times. I have had more than 1 early hour cancellation text, so I know she understands.

I felt like today has been a dream. I know it happened, it just feels like I wasn't actually present. I decided to force myself, pain and all, to go to mother's group. I was too stubborn to waste a perfectly glorious spring day. So glad I went. Hubby dropped me off, bubby had fun, I chatted to some great ladies, then walked  the 20 minute  trip home. While I was walking, I felt a new determination hit me. I flatly refuse to give up, or give in. Even as I limped round Aldi supermarket this afternoon, I felt hope return. And I thought it was just the cheap groceries that make me smile there. I will recover, simple as that. I have had quite enough, thank you, and will stop at nothing to get my full functioning health back. Sigh. That felt good! 

On the walk home, I had to look at this gorgeous beach. Bubby, as per usual, was alseep :)

Now that that is out of the way, onto the curry. Remember those spices I made yesterday, well today, they were put to the test. Here goes...

After a bit of online searching, I found a few similar recipes and decided to be loosely guided by them. The only great variation, other than vegetables, was amount of curry powder used. For veggies, I used a small sweet potato, a whole brown onion, and 3 carrots, all roughly chopped. I placed them in a pan on medium heat that had a generous amount of olive oil in it.

I ended up using 1 heaped tablespoon of my homemade curry powder, but I did pimp it some more though. I halved yesterdays mixture, and put some sweet paprika and a pinch of cinnamon in the one I used tonight.

The curry powder was cooked for 5 minutes with the veg. I found I needed a lot more oil and even some butter. I also had to turn the heat down. Once the veg was coated and softened slightly, I removed the veg from the pan and set them aside before adding the chicken.

I turned the heat back to just past medium and browned the chicken. I added some salt, pepper and a tablespoon of rice malt syrup, and some more butter. When browned, I added 1 cup of my homemade chicken stock (see the best chicken stock ever) and stirred before transferring to a baking dish. The chicken doesn't have to be cooked through. That happens in the oven. 

Heat oven to moderate/hot. Place cooked chicken and stock into dish. Place cooked veggies on top, then cover with some frozen peas. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 45 minutes. Can be uncovered for a further 15 minutes of cooking if browner chicken is desired.

This is the result- it smells amazing!

This was my portion, served with a small amount of steamed rice. 

Now, the verdict! Smell- incredible! Value for money- excellent. Taste- lacking. Everyone ate it, so it was ok, but it wasn't amazing. It was mild, though it did have a itty bitty kick. Chilli flakes would have worked well. It also had a hint of lemon about it. If hubby wasn't allergic to garlic, I would have fried off some garlic and ginger with the onions. It just needed a little bit of something extra. Though I'm not sure what it is, I will find it, and post that too :)

Now, for the pointy end of the blog, what I ate today... 

Breaky: Yesterday's carrot whip creation (very nice!) and a cuppa at 7:30am. 
Morning tea: Half a cuppa, a 1/4 cup of plain yoghurt and half a container of almonds at 10am.
Lunch: Mountain bread wrap with 2 eggs, cheese and salad at 12 noon.
Afternoon tea: samples of curried carrot at 4pm.
Dinner: The above serve of curried chicken (2 drumsticks) and veg at 5pm.
Supper: Decaff with whole milk at 7pm.

That's it for today. I'm off for an early night. Until tomorrow :)