Dinner and a Movie™: Step Brothers and Chicken Coconut Curry

Dave and I, after much painful trial and error, have declared Sundays "socializing-free zones," which means that except for major occasions – like a friend's recent wedding – we don't make plans with other humans on Sundays. It's our day to sleep late, do laundry, cook for the week, taunt the cat about being a skinny-ass Zombie beast, read books, take a nap, sit in the yard and think about nothing... or scrap all of that and just lie in bed with the A/C cranked while watching an entire season of a TV show on DVD.

Once the chores are done, we reward ourselves with Dinner & A Movie™. Our dining room table faces the TV, so we dim the lights and sit side-by-side, just like the Alamo Drafthouse, only Paleo-Zone-friendly and free.

This week, we had Chicken Coconut Curry and watched the Judd Apatow/Will Ferrell film Step Brothers. I give the dinner 4 stars; my compliments to the cook (me!). The movie gets 4 stars for making me laugh out loud so many times, and 1 star for grossing me out just as frequently.

Our Menu
Chicken Coconut Curry
Snap peas & cucumber
Strawberries

The Movie: Step Brothers
"Brennan (Will Ferrell) and Dale (John C. Reilly) are two middle-aged loafers who are forced to live together when their parents get married. When the reluctant step-siblings' immature antics over TV privileges and personal property take their toll on the marriage, the devious duo hatch a hysterical scheme to reunite the couple."

Why this movie is AWESOME:

• The clip above. "I haven't had a carb since 2004."
  
• It stars Adam Scott as Derek, the evil brother, who forces his family to sing GNR's "Sweet Child O' Mine" in a cappella 4-part harmony. [I should mention that I'm currently a little Adam-mad because we just watched the entire first season of "Party Down," a painfully brutal and funny comedy starring Adam S. Watch it on Roku or DVD!]
  
• Will. Ferrell.
• Awkward hugging, awkward kissing, awkward stupidity
• The brothers wear tuxedos and sneakers to a job interview, which they insist on attending and conducting together.
• Cameo appearance by Seth Rogan
  

RECIPE
I've shared the Coconut Curry recipe before, but this time, I remembered to take photos.

1. First, I sauteed onions, thinly-sliced jalapenos, and a bunch of garlic in olive oil.
2. Then I added previously grilled chicken...
3. ... and a pile of previously steamed green beans.
4. When all those ingredients were heated through, I added the spice blend and stir-fried until the whole kitchen smelled like an exotic and mysterious spice market where spies sidle suspiciously.

Here's the spice blend (for 1/2-lb. of protein):
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp ground ginger

Then I added 1/2 cup coconut milk and a handful of fresh basil leaves. The sauce thickened and the basil wilted in about 4 minutes. Then it was time to serve and dig in.

Here's the tray, loaded down with the rest of our feast.

This recipe? Highest recommendations. I've tried it with both chicken and beef, lots of jalapenos and just one, with veggies mixed in and with veggies alongside. It works in EVERY permutation. It's the food equivalent of the perfect black boots – dressy/casual/classic/funky... totally reliable and awesome at the same time.

The movie? I only recommend it if a) you can pretend to be a 14-year-old boy and b) you won't lower your opinion of me for thinking that movie was some funny sh*t.

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I'm excited to once again join the food punk rockers on Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade.