Vindaloo. VindaWHO?

So yesterday Aaron was one of the lucky employees in the US to have Martin Luther King Day off. As I left the house, tears filled my eyes watching as he restfully crept out of bed with an entire empty day ahead of him. “Life isn’t fair,” I sobbed. He told me to get over it and that he’d see me at 5:30.

Throughout the day I’d check in to see how he was spending his day, and during one call he came back with, “I’m cleaning the basement!” The tears reappeared once again as angels sang sweet songs of productivity in my ears. I should explain something. One section of our basement looks like it belongs on the show “Hoarders”. And you can’t say, “Relax Bev, It’s the basement!” You have no idea. You really, really have no idea.

While I was on the phone one last time to let Aaron know I was headed home, I inquire about the basement. My heart is beating. My hands are sweating. His response? “You’re going to freak when you see it! I’ve thrown… at least THREE things away!”

Oh no.

No, Aaron, no.

Oh dear. Oh dear, dear, dear.

Thank goodness that guy was PULLING MY LEG.

Chicken Vindaloo:

What it took or 4:

2 Tbs. curry powder

2 tbs. smoked paprika

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch pieces

8 cloves garlic, minced

4 Tbs. red wine vinegar

2 Tbs. canola or extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained, 1/3rd cup juice reserved

3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

* What it took for 4: (from Fine Cooking)

Start some white jasmine rice in either a rice cooker or on the stove. Let her be.

In a small bowl, combine the curry powder, paprika and 3 good grinds of black pepper. In another bowl, place the chicken and sprinkle 1 Tbs. of the curry mixture, about half of the minced garlic, 2 Tbs. vinegar and a couple of pinches of salt. Toss to coat and set aside at room temperature.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Once you see the oil shimmering, add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 4 minutes, stirring often, as it starts to lightly brown. Reduce the heat a tad, add the fresh ginger, the rest of the garlic and the remaining curry powder mixture. Stir for about 45 seconds, until it becomes combined and super fragrant. Yes I said super.

Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Scrape up those good browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken to the pan along with the reserved tomato juice, the remaining 2 Tbs. vinegar and 2/3 cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover partially and let simmer about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir the chicken around occasionally. Your kitchen is going to smell so insanely good right now. It’s possible you’ll hear knocks at your front door. Don’t come to me, mk?

Right before serving, do a quick taste test and season accordingly. Serve over rice and topped with fresh cilantro. Dern and dern. (that means “done and done”)