What's for dinner???

My cute friend Britney sent me a recipe for Naan and it inspired me to whip up a Indian dinner for my family. My kids love Indian food, so this was a big hit. Naan is one of those comfort foods that can easily mask as the bread portion of your meal or cuisine. You can also spread the Naan with honey butter and enjoy it for dessert. The sky is the limit with this amazing yeast phenomenon. 

Naan

2 3/4 cups flour, plus more for dusting

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 egg

1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt or sour cream

1/2 cup milk

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl by hand), stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and yeast. In a small bowl, mix together the egg, yogurt, and milk. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir for about 1 minute, until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated into the wet ingredients.

Increase machine speed to 2 (or by hand) and knead the dough until it is smooth and shiny. Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover with a towel. Leave in a warm place to rise until the dough doubles in size, about an hour.

Put a baking stone or heavy baking sheet on the lowest rack of your oven. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees for at least 30 minutes prior to baking.

Divide the dough into eight pieces and form into teardrop (mine were more like oval) shapes with your hands, about 6 to 8 inches across.

Cook two or three pieces at a time. Drop the dough onto the hot stone and shut the oven door, watching until they are just starting to turn brown in places, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove the naan and lay on a board. Butter the naan with garlic butter after it comes out of the oven. 

The second dish is Chicken coconut curry. Another favorite amongst my kids. I know it's strange, but they really do love authentic cuisine. It's great for Joe and I because we're not afraid to tempt their palates and take them to restaurants we love. I hope you'll try these dishes sometime, just for the fun of it!

Chicken coconut curry

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons curry powder 1/2 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed, diced tomatoes 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce 3 tablespoons sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
2.	Heat oil and curry powder in a large skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes. Stir in onions and garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and juices run clear.
3.	Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.