For the Win

Have you noticed? For the win, FTW, it used to mean awesome! Wow! Congrats! I don't know if it is a pandemic thing, or just a life thing, but 'For the Win' seems to have changed meanings. Like - holy heck, despite all odds - you made it - across the finish line; - turned in your assignments on time; or - got out of bed! FTW! What is considered a material accomplishment - seems to have changed. In our pandemic life -14 mos in, the barometer of what is awesome has changed. And I'm ok with it. It seems we actually beginning to acknowledge our humanity. How hard this all is. The grief we are each bearing, in our own unique ways. No guises. Just real.

And so I give you - FTW Indian Chicken.

I am 100% not kidding you that this is one of my kids, favorite meals - FTW! One dish, FTW! All shelf stable, FTW! 5 ingredients, FTW! So, when you are on the 400th zoom call or Teams meeting for the day, and you hang up at 5:50 - FTW Indian Chicken. In the oven by 6pm. Call it - amazing.

This week this recipe has taken on more pandemic significance as we hear of the suffering and experiences of our brothers and sisters in India, Bangladesh, and surrounding areas. I have had the distinct privilege to not only get to travel to India in more normal times, but also to call many of her sons and daughters dear friends. My heart is wrenched this week centering my heart and soul on their faces, their smiles, their families. This recipe does not approximate the foods they call "theirs'", but the flavors harken to the trips, food, scents of their deeply culturally rich country.

'For The Win' Indian Chicken

4 chicken breasts

3 c of rice

1 jar of tikki marsala sauce or whatever Indian simmer sauce you have in the pantry

1 can of conconut milk (cream is the best)

1 t chicken bullion

If you want to get fancy -

1 chopped onion

or sprinkled with extra curry powder

or some garlic thrown in

or?!

Turn on the oven to 350*F

Pour 3 c of dry rice in the bottom of a 9x11" pan (I spray PAM in it prior to make clean up easier)

- if you adding a diced onion - throw in here.

Open the jar of conconut milk, and dolop that on top of the rice.

Fill the empty coconut milk can with hot water, add 1 t. of chicken bullion, allow a few min to dissolve.

Place the chicken breasts on top of the rice, if frozen allow extra baking time.

- if you are adding curry, sprinkle here.

Pour the jar of Indian Simmer Sauce on top of the chicken breasts (Will keep chicken moist)

Stir the can of hot water with bullion and pour around the edges of the pan. Add 1/2 can more of water to the rice - a total of 1 1/2 cans of hot water + the can of coconut milk to the rice.

Place in Oven, and bake for ~45 min. Do not open oven. (The steam cooks the rice) After 45 min, check to see if your chicken has come to temperature, particularly if it was frozen.

I intended to have a picture of the finished dish, out of the oven - but literally as soon as it came out, the kids were serving themselves - FTW!