Curried Chicken Day

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By Chef Diane

You know my daddy always says you learn something new every day.  Well today was my day to learn about curry.  I always thought that curry was a yellowish powder you buy in the spice aisle at the store to season food with.  I never tried it, because it was spicy, and I just can't tolerate spicy foods.  But, today is Curried Chicken Day, and after doing so research I discovered that not only is curry a powdered spice, but it is also a form of cooking food.

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Curry comes from the word Kari, which means stir fry, but there can be a wet or dry curry, wet means in a type of gravy.  Curried dishes are more popular in the Indian and Asian regions, but their popularity continues to move around the globe.

That is why today is National Curried Chicken Day.  Below is a recipe for curried chicken and rice salad I found in Woman's Day magazine.  So add a little spice to your life and give it a try.

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CURRIED CHICKEN AND RICE SALAD

Ingredients:

1 cup(s) uncooked converted white rice

2 teaspoon(s) curry powder

Creamy Curry Dressing:

1/3 cup(s) low-fat mayonnaise

1/3 cup(s) plain low-fat yogurt

2 teaspoon(s) curry powder

1/4 cup(s) bottled mango chutney, chopped if pieces are large (optional)

4 cup(s) torn green leaf lettuce

2 cup(s) strips skinned cooked chicken breasts (see Note)

2 cup(s) ripe cantaloupe chunks

1 cup(s) seedless green grapes, halved

1 cup(s) thinly sliced red onion

Directions:

1.    Bring 2 cups water to boil. Stir in rice and curry powder. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Cool rice by rinsing briefly with cold water. Drain well.

2.    Meanwhile mix Dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

3.    Put remaining ingredients in serving bowl. Add rice and toss to mix. Serve Dressing at the table to spoon on salad.

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Happy National Spaghetti Day

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By Chef Diane

Well the holiday season has finally come to an end.  The parties are over, the Christmas goose has been cooked, the New Year’s black eyed peas and greens have disappeared, and you are wondering, now what will I fix for dinner.  You are in luck!  Today is National Spaghetti Day!  Spaghetti is a simple dish to make, and it is something that will feed your whole family with just a few minutes of time in the kitchen.  Today, you can stop by the freezer section, grab some frozen meatballs, then head over to the grocery aisle, pick up a jar of sauce, and don't forget to stop by the bakery and grab some French bread!

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You can fix a salad, spaghetti and bread in no time.  According to punchbowl.com, we associate pasta with the Italians, who have revolutionized the dish and invented a wide variety of pasta shapes. These include farfalle, conchiglie, rotini, penne, tortellini, and, of course, spaghetti. Spaghetti is the most common round-rod type of pasta and in Italian, “spaghetti” means “little lines.” Spaghetti is traditionally served with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese, but you can also add meat, garlic, oil, and pepper for extra flavor.

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I don't watch many cooking shows.  With just me here, I don’t try too many different recipes.  But...there is a man who has a short show that is shown on yahoo.com every week.  He is Italian, so many of his shows are of Italian food, which I love.  I checked today to see what he would have for spaghetti, and saw this clip.  He is very quick, and entertaining, and once you watch, you will be hooked too!

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http://shine.yahoo.com/video/chowciao-lazy-meatballs-pappardelle-052016432.html;_ylt=AjJSl0tVIcxEBudP5.87VPRZbqU5;_ylu=X3oDMTJjOGxkZTBsBHBrZwMwNTYzNTAyNC05YzMyLTMxYmUtYTc0Ny0zMWEwZmEyNGQzYjMEcG9zAzExBHNlYwNNZWRpYVZpZGVvc0Nhcm91c2VsQ0FYSFI-;_ylv=3

So while you are recovering from all the holiday dishes, today, you can just kick back, boil some noodles and enjoy a fast easy dinner that is filling and delicious.