Lemongrass and Basil Chicken Curry

This is a quick and easy curry to whip together when you have that craving anytime during the week; yes, you even have time to make if after you get back from work! A lot of people get scared out of making curries and opt to use pre-made curry mixes in a jar, but this is very easy, and you can control how spicy you would like it to be. As I have made it below, it was not too spicy at all, which really allowed the lemongrass and ginger to come forward and support that fresh basil flavour.

For this dish, serving 2-3 people, you will need:

• Half an onion, chopped.
• Roughly 1/3 cup of chopped ginger*, or ginger powder.
• 4 stems of lemongrass.
• One clove of garlic, chopped.
• Half a cup of basil leaves.
• One tablespoon of curry powder.
• 500 milliliters of chicken stock.
• 3-4 pieces of chicken, as desired.
• One can of coconut milk.
• 1/3 cup of chopped green chilies (optional).

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

I made my own curry powder for this, using some cayenne pepper, yellow curry powder, paprika, turmeric, and some other pantry staples, but you can pretty much use any store-bought brand. Naturally, the taste of this curry will change depending on the powder you use, and that will also allow you to control the spiciness. You will note that I did not add any chillies! Feel free to chop up about 1/3 cup of green chilies for an awesome flavour kick ... I cannot find good green chilies where I am at the moment, so I had to do without.

Okay, first we need to tackle that lemongrass. If you are using lemongrass powder, just add it with the rest of the curry powder below.

Remove the outer husk of the lemongrass, we aren't going to eat this bit.

Next, chop that lemongrass up into little pieces.

Get your chicken stock to a boil and add the lemongrass directly into it. This will serve two purposes; it will infuse your stock with the lemongrass flavour, and it will soften the lemongrass.

Meanwhile, heat some oil in your skillet or wok.

Add the onions, garlic, and ginger, and fry them until the garlic starts becoming golden brown.

Then add the curry powder to the ginger, garlic, onion mixture and mix it in well.

Once the curry powder is well mixed with the onion, garlic, and ginger, add your chicken to the pan. I had drumsticks left over, so that is what I am using. Normally, I prefer chicken thighs for a curry.

Turn your chicken around to get it nicely coated with the curry and spices and brown the chicken.

Once the chicken is browned, add your chicken stock and lemongrass to the pan.

Throw in your basil leaves, cover the dish, and leave it for 10-15 minutes to let the chicken finish cooking.

Once the chicken is cooked, add your coconut milk and mix it in well.

Let it stew for a couple of minutes, and then serve with some warm rice!

*Tip: Don't throw away your ginger! Refer to our "Let's not waste anything!" page, and check out few ideas on how to use your leftover ginger.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Shyamal Addanki

Pineapple and Shrimp Verrines

These verrines are easy to make and, aside from the fact you have to do it in two steps (the marinade taking the longest time), quite fast. They are refreshing and will be ideal either for a light starter or an appetizer.

For 4 verrines, you will need the following ingredients:

• About 20 shrimp
• One tablespoon of curry powder
• A good-size handful of coriander leaves
• A can of 550 grams of cut or sliced pineapple
• The pineapple juice of the same 550 grams of cut or sliced pineapple

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: 4 to 8 hours


Start by your marinade, as it will have to rest for a few hours.

Cut the head of your shrimp and peel them.

Roughly chop the coriander.

In a container, pour the pineapple juice, then add the curry powder. Add the chopped coriander, and mix a bit.

Add your peeled shrimp.

Cover with a plastic film, and place in the fridge for 4 to 8 hours to let the marinade infuse the shrimp.

Place your pineapple pieces in a blender and mash them into a puree. It is your choice whether or not to leave pieces, my preference being having a few half-mashed pieces here and there.

Cover with a plastic film, and place in the fridge.

Hours after the marinade has been in the fridge, and just before your dinner starts, cut the marinated shrimp into pieces, but don't forget to keep 4 whole shrimp for the decoration.

It is now time to assemble your verrines.

To do so, it will take you only four simple steps.

The first step is to pour the mashed/pineapple purée as the bottom layer.

The second step is to add the marinated cut shrimp pieces as the second layer.

The third step is to place a shrimp on the side of your verrine. You can cut a little notch into your shrimp to help it hold on to the edge of the verrine.

The four step is to add few pieces of chopped coriander on top of the marinated cut shrimp pieces.

The final step is to serve and enjoy!

*Tip: Don't throw away your leftover pineapple pieces, refer to our "Let's not waste anything!" page, and check out few ideas on how to use them.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Charline Leblond

Toulouse & Around - FRANCE

Toulouse is a great city to eat in, especially if you like duck, cassoulet, and wine, but we won't only recommend French restaurants as you'll see below.

The South-West region of France is also well-known for its gastronomy.

We lived in Toulouse from end of 2009 to March 2011, so all these recommendations are dated from this time.

Empanadas Argentinas

This is a small and lovely empanadas place in Toulouse. It is located 3 rue des Gestes, a 5 minutes walk southwest of the Capitole (where Toulouse's City Hall is) following rue Gambetta. They serve good-sized, delicious empanadas.

We often ate here while we were living in Toulouse, but you can also take away empenadas. The restaurant is really small, so if you plan on going you might want to book a table or be prepared to wait for a bit, especially on weekends.

The menu is varied and offers carnivore and vegetarian options. They offer fillings such as tuna, chicken-onion, spinach, three cheese, ham-cheese, corn, and organic meat empanadas.

The prices are decent and the staff is friendly, which is always nice in France.

Frog & Rosbif

This pub is quite nice, even though we like the charm of an Irish pub better.

They brew their own beer, and for the food ... interesting concept ... they use the Indian restaurant and the French restaurant across the street to cater their customers.

As far as the beer is concerned, the brew is just about decent. As an avid beer lover who lived in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, Frog's brews just don't quench my thirst for a good micro-brewed pint. But they do offer a very refreshing change from the usual beer selections common in French bars and cafes.  

Try the Ginger Blonde, that was the only one that made an impression. 

It is located 14 rue de l'Industrie, a 10 minutes walk east of Place Wilson (downtown).

http://www.frogpubs.com/pub-rosbif-toulouse.php

Grand'Pizzeria

It is quite a charming Italian restaurant, which honestly doesn't look like anything much from the outside, but it is bigger on the inside ... (this is is for you Doctor Who fans) (2 levels restaurant).

The pizzas are delicious, as well as the pastas.

The pizzas are Italian style pizzas with thin crust.

The staff is friendly, and the service is extremely quick even on a very crowded weekend. The pizza chefs take centre stage as you enter the restaurant, and they are always ready with a friendly smile and "Bonjour" even while they runaround sliding a seemingly endless parade of pizzas into and out of the giant brick oven.

It is located 11 rue Castellane, a 10 minutes walk east of Place Wilson (downtown).

The restaurant is often full, but the downside is they don't take any reservation, which is a pity.

La Mare aux Canards

It is located 14 rue des Gestes, in the same street than Empanadas Argentinas ... I completely concede it is not the same food than Argentinian empanadas, because this restaurant will serve you typical local Toulousaine cuisine. So if you like duck ... go for it.

The prices are decent: they offer a 20, 25, 28 euros menus, or à la carte.

The portions are generous.

The menu is delicious from any salad to the foie gras as well as the duck confit, and even the beef (entrecôte and onglet). And don't forget to try a dessert ... after all. you are in France.

Be careful, at the time they were often fully booked, so make a reservation.

The staff is friendly and has a excellent knowledge of the menu.

http://www.mare-aux-canards.com/

La Cave Au Cassoulet

We would recommend the cassoulet, which is a southwestern French speciality.

The restaurant is located in the cellar, quite charming way to eat.

It is located 54 rue Peyrolières, a 5 minutes walk southwest of the Capitole (where Toulouse's City Hall is) following rue Gambetta (rue Gambetta becomes rue Peyrolières.

http://caveaucassoulet.chez.com/ As in today, their website is not really working, you just get home page and the map, but no menu.

Maison Du Curry

The restaurant is quite off-centered (located avenue de l'URSS), and we only went there once just before we left Toulouse. They just have been opened for less than a week and the food was good.
The staff was really friendly. As mentioned, at the time, and it was the first few weeks they were open, they weren't really organized and we waited quite a bit to have our orders served.

They also have a booth at the Victor Hugo Market (located downtown), that's how we discovered them. We often bought some excellent food to take away.

De Danu

It is a typical Irish pub where we used to go quite often for drinks and food. The only downside, and the reason we started to go less often, is it became more like a fancy restaurant, or I guess you can call it a gastro-pub, than a pub anymore ... you even have to book a table ... which is quite ridiculous if you ask me.

The food is good but pricey, especially for a pub. 

The staff is friendly ... like any Irish pub.

It is quite off-centered, so if you're walking, it's a good 25 minutes walk from downtown.

http://www.dedanu.com/fr

Monsieur Georges

If you want good meat, excellent sauces, and wait staff who can speak english (but don't rate high on the friendly scale), Monsieur Georges in Place Saint-Georges (next to Place Wilson) is a great bet.

However, expect to pay a decent sum; an entrecôte (steak) is 24 Euros. Dinner for two, including appetizer, dessert, and a bottle of wine, will generally run over 80 Euros. 

But, the meat is really good and the staff always understood just how I like my meat, which is a big plus for me. They are not friendly or exceedingly warm, so don't expect that kind of service.

http://www.monsieurgeorges.fr/accueil_m_georges.vdom

Les 3 Dynasties

It is located in Blagnac where the airport is, so not really next to any tourist attraction, but the food is excellent and constant, so no surprise there. Les 3 Dynasties is an excellent Chinese restaurant which has been opened for a very long time (at least ten years, because I lived in Toulouse in 2000 and 2001 and I remembered eating there quite often).

http://restaurant-thai-chinois.les3dynasties.fr/

Xavier Fromager Affineur

A great selection of cheese.

The prices are not low, so if you can find the cheese you like in a supermarket or at a market, buy them there. Go to Xavier if you want a specific cheese, such as their truffle brie (the time to buy  truffles is after October-November).

Xavier Fromager Affineur is located downtown, across the street from the Victor Hugo Market.

We wouldn't recommend:

The chain called L'Entrecôte (and not only in Toulouse), from which we still don't understand why there is a waiting line. The menu is always the same, the meat is less than decent, and at the end you  just get a beef steak and French fries dish ... very sad ... and a less than medium quality.

Any other Indian restaurant (other than Maison du Curry and New Delhi, the one serving Frog and Rosbif) because the food is not Indian. There is no flavour, no spice, and every dish tastes practically the same.

Reviewed by Charline Leblond & Shyamal Addanki