Musaman Chicken Curry - couldn’t be any easier
Musaman curry is very easy to make and oh so delicious. It can be made vegetarian or with chicken beef or even Shrimp if you like
If you are not familiar with Thai food, this is a great one to start with. It is very easy to make and I’ve never met anyone yet who did not eat all of it. Even my kids will eat it without complaining one bit. Savannah actually walked into the kitchen today when I was cooking it and said "What is that delicious smell!" and was excited to eat it. How’s that for a recommendation!
It is kind of like a peanut sauce Thai stew.
There are a few specialty ingredients, they are very cheep and last forever, but you do have to have them to make the Musaman.
MUSAMAN CURRY: 4-6 serving depending on if you are serving anything else with it.
2 Tbls vegetable oil
3 Tbls Red Curry Paste (specialty stores will carry this)
1 Can Coconut Milk (about 14 oz)
6-7 oz of Water
1 Lbs Chicken - or less if you are trying to conserve. It really tastes just as good with or without it. If you do not use the chicken, increase the potatoes by 50%.
2 Medium potatoes (if you are using meat - 3 if you are going vegetarian)
2 Large Carrots
2 Tbls Fish Sauce (specialty store)
4+ Tbls Sugar
2 Tbls Tamarind Liquid (specialty store)
1/3 Cup peanuts
1/3 Cup Cashews (I like the cashews better and would even just do all cashews if I was not worried about the price at all. Cashews can be more expensive than peanuts.
PREP WORK
Take the potatoes, carrots, and then the chicken into 1 inch cubes.
Now your ready to cook
Over medium heat in a large pot with a lid, add the oil and the curry paste. Heat until you can smell the curry and it starts to bubble. Stir constantly.
Add 1/3 of the coconut milk and stir into the curry. Keep stirring until it is mixed together and starts to bubble again.
Add the chicken and stir fry until the outside of the chicken is no longer pinkish
Now, add the rest of the coconut milk, and while that is heating through fill the coconut milk can half full of water, and wish it around so you get all the milk you can, then poor it into the mix as well. Keep Stirring.
Now put in the potatoes and carrots (you should add them right as the pink goes away in the chicken so you will need to have them cut before hand. If you try to chop them now the chicken will get over cooked waiting for you to get done.
Add the fish sauce, sugar, tamarind, and peanuts and cashews.
The potatoes will stick up above the liquid a little. They will get covered as it cooks more.
Stir all together and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it go for about 25 more minutes.
Now remove from heat
You can eat it an start enjoying it right now, or you can save it for later. The longer it waits the better the flavors will mix. It is kind of like clam chowder, it should age about 24 hours before serving. But if you cannot resist, you can still enjoy it now. This make as a great hold over meal for those busy days when you still want to eat something delicious but fast.
This has just a bit of a kick to it, but not bad at all. If you are a little more sensitive to the spice you can reduce the amount of curry used.
Be Healthy - Enjoy Life!
Matthew Stearmer
I witnessed a beautiful act of charity
I have not taken the time to write much on Sunday, but today I saw something truly beautiful and noteworthy that to me represents the essence of what Sunday worship should mean and be.
In our church we have a family who’s husband has just left on active duty military service. His wife is now wholey responsible for the care of the home and 5 children (all under the age of 6 and the youngest is just a few months old). When this faithful sister came to church today, on her first Sunday alone, one of our young women saw her, and jumped up to assist. She helped the mother find a seat, get situated, and sat with her the entire meeting helping to care for the kids.
It was a beautiful act of service.
Very few people would have noticed the act, but those of us on the stand did and I know that God did. I teared up knowing that this dear young woman had truly learned the gospel. She knew how to live it!
So often in life we are not called on to do something great. Often we are simply asked to strengthen the feeble knees and to lift those in need of comfort. As Job taught us long ago, those who wish to be truly great will seek out for the cause they know not (job 29:16). God will often inspire us to act in seemingly insignificant ways, but that when these promptings are obeyed it will both increase our joy and strengthen our testimonies.
More than just about anthing else I heard today this young lady’s testimony of Christ in action taught me more than I could have hoped to learn from written word. Actions are a powerful testimony indeed!
Matthew Stearmer
Awesome Steak Rub For Grilling - my personal favorite dry rub
I know that I just got done talking about doing more vegetarian meals - which I fully intend to do - but this is a recipe that I had intended on putting up before and just never finished. So I’m going to somewhat hypocritically post it now - with the assurance that I’m not going against my word. Eating more veggies does not mean I cannot still enjoy life!
And this is about as good as steaks can get in my opinion. and it is about as easy a rub as you can make. And like many things in life it is the simple things that really stand out.
Here is all you will need
Sea Salt
Oregano
Cumin
Favorite cut of beef
Some water
So, take your beef steak and sprinkle the sea salt on it. Use a water bottle to spritz water on it so the salt begins to dissolve.
Now, sprinkle Cumin and Oregano on it and really push it into the meet. You can add a little more water as you go to make sure it really sticks
Now, let them sit like that for as long as you have. If you can wait over night great. If not try to give it an hour.
Now set them on a grill and let it slowly cook. 7-10 minutes on a side depending on how done you like the steaks and how thick they are.
Every minute or so spray it with some more water to keep things moist.
Now, sit back and enjoy it - with lots of vegetables:)
Be Healthy - Enjoy Life!
Matt Stearmer
My First All Vegetarian Meal - at least of my own creation
Typically I’m a meat eater. I know that it is not always the best for me - but I love it. So setting to out to make a vegetarian meal was a stretch. But I happen to buy the wrong ingredient for another recipe I was making and thus ended up with a bunch of Bok Choy, and a desire to be a little more vegetarian all within a few days of each other.
After reading a book called Food Matter by Mark Bitten I had decided to cut back and move a little more to the herbivore side of the spectrum than I have been in the past.
Of course that presents some challenges.
I’ve started to develop a taste for veggies, but in my "previous life" they were designed to accentuate the meet, they were not supposed to be the main course. So this is going to take an adjustment in both my cooking habits and my taste bud preferences.
I found a base recipe for Bok Choy online and as always modified it a little to suite my more discerning pallet:)
For not having any meat in it, I have to say I was quite pleased. Even the left over tasted good the next day and I find myself willing to put it on my list of staple foods. This is an especially good recipe for weight loss.
I hope you will enjoy it!
Bok Choy Stir Fy:
Ingredients
1) Vegetable Oil - about 2 Tbls
2) Ginger - 2-3 slices or 1tsp (more if you like it)
3) Bok Choi - 1 whole large plant, or 4 smaller ones (I’m told they are sweeter)
4) Soy Sauce - 2 Tbls
5) Sugar - 1Tbls
6) Salt - 1/4 tsp (or to taste, I personally do not use very much)
7) Water - 1/4 water (more or less as needed)
Sesame Oil - 1 Tbls (more or less to taste and diet needs)
Put the veg oil and ginger in pot and heat it over medium heat until the ginger begins to smell nice
While the oil and ginger are heating cut up the Bok Choy. First, cut the leaves off so they are separate from the stalk (there and be a little stalk on them, that is fine). Now, chop off the bottom of the stalk. You’ll have a lot of large celery looking stalks. Cut them width wise so they are smaller pieces.
Now take the leaves and cut them diagonally (they will be a little longer to begin with, but will shrink in the heat).
Once the ginger is smelling nice, put the stalks in first. Stir fry until they are tender. 2-4 minutes depending on the heat level. Move it up to Med-High
Now add the leaves. Stir fry again for another 2-3 minutes until the leaves have reduced in size and are soft.
Add in the water and let it simmer for another 1-2 minutes
Stir in the Sesame oil - and now you’re done!
It is best fresh, but it will be decent eating for a day or two after as well.
Enjoy!
Be Healthy - Enjoy Life
Matt Stearmer
Here is my Swedish Chef installment as well.
Lime Rickey - the “boring” alternative
Every once in a while, some times more than more often than not it seems lately, I like to indulge from my weight loss topics and write about the funner side of food. Now, I’m not one that excludes anything from my diet really - moderation in all things as they say - but I am generally a little more strict than indulging in party drinks. Whether it is alcohol or the soda or the ice cream or the syrup there is more than enough in all of these drinks to wreak a diet if taken on a regular basis - but never fear moderation is here - and so it a little fun.
So now that I’ve taken all the fun out of the recipe let’s just get down to it before I ruin it even more.
For those of us who eschew alcohol we often have to do so at the expense of a lot of tasty sounding drinks - sigh - the price of piety:) But on the flip side we do remember all the fun we had the night before!
So in an attempt to get the best of both worlds here is a Virgin Lime Rickey anyone can easily make for any occasion.
Like all of my fun weight loss recipes - this is one to enjoy in moderation.
Virgin LIME RICKEY with Coconut:
Sugar
Enough - Lime Juice. Just get a bottle of it. You’ll figure out how much to use
1 - Lime
Lots - 
Lime Sherbet
1 Tbls Coconut Extract
1/2 cup Light wiping cream
2- 8oz Grape Soda cans
Place the sugar on a small plate with a lip or bowl. You want enough sugar to rise up 1/8 of an inch
Take the cup - dip the rim of it in water about 1/8 of an inch deep - the dip the rim of the cup in the sugar. Now set the cup aside to dry.
In a mixer put 16 oz of soda, Coconut extract, about 2 cups of Lime Sherbet, the whipping cream, and as much lime juice as you like. Mix it up in the blender.
Now poor it into the cups - about 2/3 of the way up the glass. It should be fairly thick and fairly purple.
Now fill the rest of the cup with more sherbet. If you let the sherbet cool a little it can be a think slushy layer on top of the purple layer.
Cut a slice of the lime - dip it in sugar, cut it a little more than half way through and put it on the edge - just for a little extra party flare. With it on the edge the aroma will help enhance the lime flavor, and with the sugar on it you can eat it whole when the drink is done.
Enjoy!
Be Health - Enjoy Life!
Matt Stearmer
And here is a desert recipe - from the Swedish Chef just for fun
Cafe Rio Sweet Pulled Pork alternative - got the recipe back from the grave!
Lucky for me my mother saved this recipe for me. I had this Cafe Rio sweet pulled pork alternative recipe posted on my blog and then the server got erased! And the last back-up I had was 2 weeks old. So this recipe was a gonner. Thankfully my mother loves me and happen to save the recipe, and now I can put it back on my blog.
So for those who missed it the first time - enjoy. For those who wanted the recipe, but could not find it here it is again:)
And to make it a little more fun, here is a video you all might enjoy. This is not that spicey, but it has a little kick to it.
From a weight loss perspective you’ll need to be a little careful on this. It is a little fattier and made with more sugar than is generally good. But I am a firm believer in moderation and enjoyment. We can enjoy most things in moderation.
Cafe Rio Sweet Pulled Pork alternative
Ingredients:
2 lbs Pork Roast
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Red Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbsp. Cumin
salt to taste
8 oz. Coke
1 cup chicken broth
4 cloves garlic
2 small onions
Toppings: green chili enchilada sauce, tomatoes, cheese, guacamole, sour cream and lime, if you like them. (Just be careful – moderation in all things!)
For the Saucey
Ingredients:
1/3 cup ranch dressing
1/3 cup whole milk
1/6 cup mayo
3 Tbsp. tomatoes and green chili mix
Garlic to taste
Tapatio sauce to taste
(This is not a time intensive recipe, but it will take some waiting time.)
The night before: Combine the first amount of brown sugar, cayenne, cumin and salt. Rub on roast. Put in a crock-pot set on LOW and cook all night.
*You will need to add some water to keep it from burning on the bottom. Adjust the amount of water by how your crock-pot works.
(A real key here will be to just rub the roast down on the top and sides. Do not put it on the bottom that will be in contact with the heated surface. You do not want to the sugar to crystallize.) You can even cut slices in it and get some of the run inside as well. This makes it even extra yummy
The next morning: Add coke, chicken broth, garlic and onions. (If you are in a hurry, add a little more water and turn up to HIGH, but if you are going to serve for dinner continue on LOW and add enough chicken broth to almost cover the meat.)
About one hour before serving: Shred roast and add 1 cup brown sugar. Now, mix the Saucey (it should be a little drizzly).
(Since this is part of a weight loss regime here is what I would suggest.)
Cover the plate with baby spinach, add hand full of chips and crush them (Your only need enough to get a chip or two in each bite.) Then place a few dollops of refried beans around the plate and about 2 to 3 oz. of the shredded pork. Cover with the green enchilada sauce, the Saucy mix and top with tomatoes and the other toppings to taste.
BE HEALTHY – ENJOY LIFE, Matthew Stearmer
My Trip To San Diego
Here is a photo from my hotel.
More images 1
More image 2
More image 3
Matt S
Got Talent Surprise - wonderful performance and message on not judging
I love music. And even though I know that the outward body does not make or break ones vocal ability I have to admit that when I saw this lady come out to perform I thought they were doing it as a joke. She does not look the part we have been socialized to expect to perform well.
I was humbled and amazed. Like everyone else who has watched it. I hope you enjoy it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
Craig Ferfuson Video Test
Trip to Cornell University
I just wanted to upload a few photo from my trip to Cornell University. Luckily we go there just after a huge cold snap. Apparently it was -14 degrees at the beginning of the week. I did not get there until Friday and by that time it was much nicer. There was still a ton of fog. In fact there was so much that our flights got canceled. Luckily we all made it out from another airport.
Here are a few pictures. This is the waterfall that greats you coming into Cornell.
