Two Tias Supper Club

Dear Tia Tay,

It's funny that you decided to go starch-free for awhile; I've been doing the same thing for almost a week now. On top of our (totally worth it!) visit to CL, and the week spent with my parents snarfing down Tex-Mex like it was going out of style, my Canadian friend M came into town, and of course the best (only?) way to entertain a guest is to feed him. So I did, with a vengeance, in the meantime feeding myself, and now I'm not sure it's just water weight I have to worry about. At least I didn't cave and buy the pint of Espresso Oreo at the local ice cream shop that I felt M absolutely must visit...

But! I do have starch-free dinner for tonight planned, and marinating in the refrigerator: chicken breasts, South Asian style. It's my default weeknight dish, because I always have the necessary spices on hand, thanks to my mother's persistent packages brimming with large, plastic spice packets, and because chicken is so flexible as a meat that it's almost obscene.

I'm excited to hear about your stir fry - it sounds delicious. I tried to make something like that once and I overcooked the asparagus into mushy stringy things that vaguely looked and tasted like asparagus but clearly was asparagus's dumber, pudgier clone.

So here I am in my chair, early evening, writing to you and pondering the dead dahlias that I can't bring myself to throw away. Not for any sentimental reason, but because it seems like a lot of effort. This kind of laziness is probably what got me into this possibly-more-than-water-weight business to begin with.

Curry Marinated Chicken Breasts and Cucumber Yogurt Salad

The Chicken (adapted from my mother)

1 lb chicken breasts
1/4 c plain yogurt
1/4 c garlic paste (available at your local Indian grocer in a giant jar for a modest sum)
1/8 c ginger paste (see above)
1 tsp-tbs turmeric powder (I didn't actually measure any of these spices, but I think they're probably alright)
1 tsp-tbs chili powder
1 tsp-tbs cumin
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt, to taste
whatever other willing and able spices you have that you want to throw in there, such as cardamom or garam masala

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl until chicken is coated evenly.
2. Stick bowl in fridge for at least an hour, though all day/all night is best.
3. Turn your oven to broil.
4. Take bowl out of fridge, let sit 10-15 minutes or until roughly room temperature.
5. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish lined with foil (makes cleanup easy!).
6. Broil chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

The Salad (adapted from www.simplyrecipes.com)

1 cucumber, quartered then sliced lengthwise
1/2 bell pepper, chopped roughly
1/2 c plain yogurt
1 tsp dried dill
salt, to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl until cucumber pieces are evenly coated by yogurt.
2. If making in advance, refrigerate until ready to eat.

You're right; that was more arduous than I expected! Hope all is well in Chi-town. I'm glad we're doing this blog thing together. I'll put some pictures up whenever I a) find my camera b) figure out how to post pictures.

Love,

Tia Fia

P.S.: Do you have any low-starch recipe ideas for buttermilk on its last leg?