Chicken Curry Jorj’s Way Featuring Kitchens of Africa

Chicken Curry Jorj’s Way Featuring Kitchens of Africa

Face Your Foodie Fears

Spice up your dinner tonight with this extraordinary chicken and cauliflower recipe, featuring North Carolina’s Kitchens of Africa. Treat yourself to a taste of adventure by indulging in fried chickpeas and light yet creamy lime-avocado yogurt!

Hubby and I are embarked on an African adventure!

Besides the shots, mosquito repellent, neutral-colored clothing, and hats, the one thing I’m happy to pre-plan is the food!

Although springing up in several cities, African fare is still a unique meal to find.

It just so happens that when reading several of the MUST-HAVE holiday gift guides, I came across Kitchens of Africa, a company with a mission to bring the diverse and exotic cuisine of Africa to the rest of the world. 

Originating in Raleigh, North Carolina, Kitchens of Africa offers a variety of sauces that we can use to bring the flavors of Africa to our home kitchens. 

Of course, I bought a box from Kitchens of Africa and received four different jars with recipes to go along with each. 

 

I decided to start with the Zanzibari Curry Simmer Sauce. I chopped some veggies and chicken and simmered them in the sauce. It was delish! 

If you have a craving for curry, and you haven’t placed your order from Kitchens of Africa, do not worry. 

I’ve included a recipe from Canvas and Cuisine that will hold you over until you do!

Chicken and Cauliflower Curry
With Lime-Avocado Yogurt and Fried Chickpeas

Servings

Serves 4 as a Main or 6 as a Side

 

Ready In:

60 Minutes

Good For:

Dinner

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, peeled and diced, about 1 cup
4 garlic cloves, peeled and diced, about 2 tablespoons
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated, about 2 tablespoons
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded, veins and stem removed, finely diced, about 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons garam masala
1 cinnamon stick
2 cups homemade chicken stock or prepared low sodium broth
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 (15-ounce) can of diced tomatoes
½ cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon coarse black pepper

For yogurt:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 ripe avocado, peeled, seed removed
2 small green onions, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lime, about 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

For chickpeas:
1 (15-ounce can) chickpeas
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Zest 1 lime, about 1 teaspoon

Heat olive oil in a skillet with deep sides over medium-high heat. Place the chicken pieces into the skillet and cook until golden brown on all sides. Season with some salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a platter.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, tomato paste, curry powder, garam masala, and cinnamon stick to the skillet. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Your kitchen should begin to smell like curry! Stir in the chicken broth. Add the cauliflower to the skillet and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sautéed chicken, and coconut milk. Cook for 5 minutes more. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the cauliflower tender but not mushy, about 15 to 20 minutes more. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Use a hand mixer, blender, or immersion blender to blend the yogurt and avocado until smooth. Stir in the green onions, lime juice, and cilantro. Taste and season with salt.

Rinse, drain and pat dry chickpeas. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chickpeas into the oil and fry until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. If your pan is not very large you can do this in batches. Remove the chickpeas to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with paprika, salt, and lime zest. Toss to coat.

Serve the cauliflower and chicken curry in a bowl garnished with a spoonful of lime–avocado yogurt and sprinkled with fried chickpeas.

Tried it? Tag it!

I would love to see what you did with this recipe.  Share your creation by tagging #inthekitchenwithjorj and with Scrumptious Possibilities With Jorj, my free private home cooking group.

Let The Sunshine In: Fiery Buffalo Chicken Recipe

Let The Sunshine In: Fiery Buffalo Chicken Recipe

When my kids were little, we had a Friday night tradition of going to our local TGI Friday’s restaurant and order our favorite appetizers: Wings and loaded potato skins. This version of that meal makes me sunshiney happy. I hope it does for you, too! Click to skip to the recipe

 

I’m a morning person. 

Mostly, I’m a morning person because my dog refuses to sleep in…. at all! As soon as the sun breaks through the cracks in the window shades, we’re up. Not “stretchy-downward-dog” up; We’re “running-around-in-circles”, “grabbing-for-the-coffee-pot” UP.

The weather and the mood around here have been a little bleak lately. But, just this morning, I am inspired by just a few seconds of watching a glorious sunrise.

The clouds turn pink and then crimson and then the fiery ball climbs up and over the faraway mountains and makes itself known to me, just me.

Watching this miracle of nature is just enough to raise my mood and open the door to the prospects that today brings. What a joy.

In just a few minutes, with the caffeine beginning to take root and the sun rising, I can plan my day with a smile on my face. Soon, I know that this miracle will be shared with others and that they, too, can begin to build on this glorious sunshine.

Today I share it with you, my friends, family, and blog friends.

My wish is that your day begins with sunshine, maintains the good feelings that this sunrise gives you, and ends with the promise of another glorious miracle after a night of restful sleep.

Meanwhile, here’s a recipe for a sunshine-inspired, fiery Buffalo chicken recipe. Enjoy!

Fiery Buffalo Chicken

Serves:

Time:

4

40-Minute Cuisine

Ingredients

When my kids were little, we had a Friday night tradition of going to our local TGI Friday’s restaurant an order our favorite happy: Wings and loaded potato skins. This version of that meal makes me sunshiney happy. I hope it does for you, too!

For chicken:

1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

4 chicken thighs

4 tablespoons butter

For Buffalo sauce:

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced

¼ cup hot pepper sauce

¼ cup white wine vinegar

½ cup olive oil

Crumbled blue cheese

glazed lemon cake with berry sauce
glazed lemon cake with berry sauce

Preheat the oven to 425°. Place the flour, chili powder, onion powder, garlic salt, salt, and pepper into a resealable plastic bag. Place one or two chicken thighs into the seasoned flour in the bag and shake, shake, shake until the chicken is coated.

Place the thighs into a baking pan that has been coated with cooking oil spray. Repeat until all the chicken is in the pan. Top each chicken piece with a pat of butter.

Bake until the top of the chicken begins to turn golden, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Whisk together the green onions, diced jalapeno pepper, hot sauce, and vinegar in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Remove the chicken from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350°.

Pour the sauce over the chicken. Place the pan back into the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through, about another 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and crumble blue cheese over the top. 

Overboard Tip:

I served Buffalo chicken with potato skins and jalapeno corn. The corn is easy. Simply remove corn kernels from the cobb and sauté in a bit of olive oil with red onion and finely diced jalapeno pepper. Season with chili powder, salt, and pepper. For the potato skins, scoop out some of the flesh from a baked potato and cut the skins into wedges.

Place a pat of butter into each piece and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with diced bacon, ham, pepperoni, or prosciutto. Your choice!

Spread some grated cheddar cheese over top and bake until the cheese melts. Garnish the skins with sour cream and hot pepper sauce.