Pasta-tively Delicious

Alright, friends, this one is a bit different from my normal recipes because this recipe doesn’t actually belong to me. Instead, it belongs to someone close to me: my brother.

I’m putting this recipe on my blog because not only did he give me permission to share it, but he also took a big step in his culinary journey and created a recipe completely on his own. No other recipe was involved in the creation of this dish. It came from experimenting, playing with different ingredients, and figuring out what worked.

So, sit back, and I hope you enjoy learning the story behind My Brother’s Protein Chicken Curry!

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Our Shared Backstory With Food

When my brother and I were younger, our mother taught all of us kids how to cook so that when we got older, we would be able to cook for ourselves and our families. But as time went on, my brother and I realized that cooking was more than just a necessary life skill to us. There was something behind it that meant more than simply making food to eat.

It became a hobby. It became something that could test our creativity and give us the chance to experiment. And, of course, it was—and still is—a lot of fun!

As you all know, I got most of my culinary knowledge from culinary school, but my brother learned a lot of what he knows from cooking shows, our mother, and me. When my brother told me quite a few years ago that he really enjoyed cooking, I was ecstatic. I finally had a hobby that I shared with one of my siblings!

Ever since then, we have cooked together many times. We’ve made everything from vegetable lasagna to chicken curry and from salmon to homemade orange chicken. We’ve made countless dishes together over the years, and we don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

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Playing With Your Food

Did your mom ever tell you not to play with your food? Well, she was wrong.

I’m not talking about sitting at the table with Dino Nuggets, a mountain of mashed potatoes with gravy for lava, and broccoli for trees. Although, let’s be honest, that would be pretty cool. I’m talking about playing with your food while you cook—throwing ingredients together, experimenting with different flavors, and seeing what you end up with.

That is exactly what my brother did.

He started with chicken, onions, celery, heavy cream, and bacon and began experimenting. He looked up different ways he could use heavy cream, discovered that he could turn it into a Cajun sauce, and got to work. Once he made the sauce, however, he realized he had made a little too much.

Instead of letting it go to waste, he looked at the other ingredients he had, added the Cajun sauce, did a little more experimenting, and before he knew it, he had created a curry!

The first time he confidently made his chicken curry, it was for his meal prep. But the more he made it, the more he realized he was slowly turning it into exactly what he wanted. He added things, took things away, adjusted ingredients, and continued experimenting until he created the curry he wanted.

And that is exactly why sometimes, despite what your mom might have told you, you really should play with your food.

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Why Protein Matters

There is more to protein than just meat. Think about it. Eggs, beans, legumes, quinoa, Greek yogurt—the list goes on. Protein can come from many different foods, and sometimes we may not even think about how much of it is already part of what we eat.

But I’m not here to give you a lesson on every food that contains protein. I’m here to talk about something that is especially important to my brother: why protein matters.

My brother is a firm believer that protein is an important part of everyday life, and I’m on board with him. Protein plays several important roles in the body, including helping build and repair muscle. That’s particularly important to my brother because he is a beginner bodybuilder, so getting enough protein is something he pays close attention to.

That passion for protein is also part of what makes this curry his. He wanted a dish that wasn’t just delicious, but also fit the way he likes to eat and the goals he’s working toward.

And that’s what I love about this dish. It isn’t just another chicken curry. It’s something my brother created himself, experimented with, changed over time, and made to fit him. And now, with his permission, I get to share it with all of you.

So, I hope you give My Brother’s Protein Chicken Curry a try. Your taste buds just might thank you!

My Brother’s Protein Chicken Curry

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Ingredients:

• 4 slices bacon
• 1 Package Smoked Sausage*
• 4 Celery Stalks
• 3 Carrots
• 1 Small Red Onion
• 3 teaspoons Garlic
• 1 Cup Chicken Broth
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder*
• 1 tablespoon Weber N’ Orleans Cajun Seasoning, divided
• 2 teaspoons Paprika
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 Chicken Breasts
• 1 Can Navy Beans

Directions:

1. Cook the bacon for 18 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for another 12 minutes, or until crisp. Once cooked, set aside.
2. While the bacon cooks, prepare the vegetables by chopping the celery, carrots, and red onion. Cut the smoked sausage into bite-sized pieces.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the smoked sausage and cook until browned. Remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside, leaving the rendered grease in the pan.
4. Add the celery, carrots, and red onion to the skillet and cook in the sausage grease until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
5. Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream. Return the sausage to the skillet, then add 2 teaspoons of the Weber N’ Orleans Cajun Seasoning, along with the curry powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked bacon and stir everything together. Allow the sauce to simmer until slightly thickened.
6. While the sauce simmers, prepare the chicken breasts. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces then coat the chicken in olive oil the remaining 1 teaspoon Weber N’ Orleans Cajun Seasoning. Cook the chicken in a separate pan until cooked through.
7. Add the cooked chicken and navy beans to the sauce. Stir everything together and allow it to heat through.
8. Serve and Enjoy!

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Notes & Tips

• Smoked Sausage
  If smoked sausage isn’t for you, you can always use something different. Try chicken sausage or any other sausage that suits your fancy!
• Curry Powder
  If you want to make your own curry powder, here are the ingredients you’ll need:
  1 1/4 teaspoons fenugreek, 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard seed, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, and 1/8 teaspoon anise seed.
• PROTEIN
  As I’m sure you know by now, protein is at the heart of this dish! So, don’t be afraid to switch things up. Try beef or even pork if you don’t want chicken, or experiment with different kinds of beans. Have fun with it!

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What To Serve It With

With a protein-packed dish like this, you need a legendary side to go along with it! Here are some side dish suggestions that would pair beautifully with this curry.

• Mashed Potatoes
  Mashed potatoes are a perfect side dish for this recipe because you can use the creamy sauce as a gravy for the potatoes. And besides, who doesn’t love mashed potatoes?
• Rice
  Rice is another perfect side for curry because it will soak up all that delicious sauce and pair beautifully with the chicken.
• Steamed Vegetables
  Steamed vegetables go well with curry because they add bright colors and a little crunch to your plate while pairing nicely with the richness of the curry.

Next time you’re craving curry, give this recipe a try! And if you want to change something, don’t be afraid to experiment. If you like a little more spice, add some red pepper flakes. If you prefer something milder, try adding a little more heavy cream. My brother experimented with this recipe time and time again to make it what it is today—and he’s still experimenting with it!

As we wrap up this recipe, I want to leave you all with a challenge. The next time you walk into your kitchen to cook something, take a look through your fridge and pantry and see what you have. Think about the potential dishes hiding in your kitchen, grab some ingredients, and see what you can create.

And when you do, don’t be afraid to play with your food!

Until Next Time…

Stay Saucy

Hailey 🍝