Natty and Nice Christmas Curry

Ok, so spicy food reminds me of the Caribbean and there's this great station on Songza called Natty and Nice. It features hits like "Christmas in Jamaica" and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Dreadlocks" to name a few. Awesomeness. I love steel drums.

So, I was inspired, also by my high-stress weekend of grading, lesson planning, and report cards, and this meal is supposed to relieve stress, to make a coconut-curry dish. It's supposed to be salmon, but surprisingly by the beach it is very difficult to find Alaskan salmon and I didn't want to go all the way to Wegmans as I have a not-so-fun headcold/allergy thing going on. So, this is what I concocted:

1. Heat 2 tsp of canola oil (So much better for you!)

2. Chop 2 garlic cloves and 2 shallots. Brown for 2 minutes

3. Add 2 cups chicken broth (I use light), 1 14oz can of light coconut milk (I couldn't find it so I used full fat. Oh well...) 2 tbsp. of tomato paste, 2 cubed sweet potatoes, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 1 tablespoon curry, 1 tsp cumin, and 1/4 tsp salt, pepper, and if you're up for it cayenne pepper.

4. Let all of this boil. When it starts to boil, lower the temp and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Add 1 lb of cubed salmon (or in my case, chicken) and 1 1/2 cups frozen peas and the juice of one lime. Let it mingle for about 5 minutes ('til salmon or chicken is cooked.) Top with cilantro if you desire, and voila!

I did see mommy kissing dreadlocks. I did, I did! Or maybe it's the cayenne pepper going to my congested head!