Tales of the City

This week I got one of my favorite miniseries from TV, Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City on DVD finally. I've been wanting to buy it for ages, but I had a hard time justifying the purchase to myself. So I found it online (NOT through Amazon, mind you) for half price. It's based on the stories by Maupin about San Francisco in the 1970's, the bohemians, the gay movement, all the craziness that makes me sad I wasn't born yet to enjoy it.
This week I've also tried working out again to rid myself of winter cellulite and general unhealthiness. Of course my late night snack last night kind of negated the whole thing, but whatever. Oh yeah, I should quit smoking too. Right.

And it's been awhile since I put a recipe up. So here is a very simple recipe that's also very good. Keep in mind it's fairly spicy, so adjust the red pepper to your taste. I like mine WAY hot. It also makes a LOT, so you may want to cut the recipe in half.

Chicken Curry

2 teasp ground red pepper
2 teasp curry powder
2 teasp chili powder
1 teasp salt
1 teasp ground coriander seeds
1 teasp ground ginger
1 teasp ground cumin
1 teasp ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (8 oz) carton plain fat-free yogurt
1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
5 cups cubed peeled baking potato (about 2 1/2 pounds)
4 cups water
4 1/2 cups hot cooked Basmati rice
2/3 cup chopped tomato

Combine first 8 ingredients. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over med heat. Add onions and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in spice mixture & chicken, cook 10 minutes.
Separately, combine yogurt and tomato paste, stir with a whisk. Add yogurt mixture, potato, and water to the pan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice, top with chopped tomato. Makes 9 servings.