Wait for it. Wait for it. Wait for it.

All good things come to those who wait? Is that true? Do you mind when you have to wait for something? Or do you do whatever is in your power to make things happen NOW?

I’m a pretty patient person when it comes to waiting. I never mind waiting in a doctor’s office when he/she is running late. My thought is that someone must need the attention more than I do.

I don’t mind waiting in lines at the grocery store because it gives me the time to read the headlines on all the gossip magazines. (Apparently there is a popular actor whose wife guards his jock strap. I would have never known that was a concern if I didn’t have to wait!!)

I also like waiting for my husband to come home from work everyday. I still get a tingly stomach looking forward to that moment he walks through the door. (Or is that tingly stomach just a Pavlovian response since we usually eat when he comes home?)

There are things I DON’T like to wait for….like when people are late for a date. Life is busy for all of us but when you are ALWAYS late, you are just inconsiderate and that is all I can say about that. (Actually, I also want to say how do you function in an adult world without knowing how to tell time but that seems a little harsh.)

When I’m ready to go out and I have to wait for my husband to finish primping….I get miffed. (Seriously Sweetie, NO ONE is going to be looking at you with me on your arm! Haha)

And I think a lot of us would agree that we hate waiting for love. It could be love from your family or waiting to find your perfect mate….the waiting game is kind of horrendous. It is one of those uncontrollable aspects of life that you can’t hurry along.

It is kind of like waiting for a curry. You know when it is done cooking it is going to be fabulous but waiting for it to finish can be so agonizing. You try to not think of it and keep yourself busy…but the waiting is killing you.

You pick up around the house, make up song lyrics to old Supremes song and you check your social media….and it still isn’t ready.

But just when you are ready to pull out your hair and make promises to higher powers that you’ll never complain about waiting again if only…if only…it was time to eat…the timer goes off

It is like Christmas and a first kiss all wrapped up in one…the curry is really worth the wait.

As part of my trying new things this year, I’ve been reading about spices and curry flavor development. The consistent theme in everything I’ve read is that curry is a waiting game.

Whether you are waiting to find the right spices or waiting for their flavor to evolve, it will be worth every second. The other thing I learned is that Thai curries are a little faster to make than a good Indian curry.

And you know what is really fast….buying a can of panang curry paste at the store!! Yep, you read that right. I couldn’t wait for the evolution of my spice combination and I really wanted this to taste perfect. (In addition, I sometimes find it hard to find all the right ingredients to recreate some Thai dishes.)

Sometimes when I’m learning new flavors that if I do some cheater steps that it helps me understand the profiles of what I’m tasting better for future recreation. (Yep, let’s go with that.)

Panang Curry on Spaghetti Squash
I normally would serve something like this on rice but I had a spaghetti squash I wanted to use up. This was one of those substitutes that will be a new favorite. All it took was roasting the squash in the oven and pouring the rich, spicy curry over the top. It was a really interchange of the squash sweetness and the super spicy chicken curry.
Ingredients
  • 1 small spaghetti squash shredded (cut in half, drizzle with olive oil, roast face down on a baking sheet for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees.)
  • 4 zucchini, cut into half mooned, tossed in olive oil, roast for about 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
  • 1 pound FROZEN chicken breasts, diced
  • 1 4 ounce can panang curry paste (found in the ethnic aisle, online or at specialty stores)
  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • 1 onion, diced
  • olive oil
Instructions
  1. You can start cooking the squash and zucchini while you are making the curry.
  2. In a large non stick skillet, swirl a little olive oil over medium heat.
  3. Add the onion and cook until translucent.
  4. Add the curry and cook about 2-3 minutes.
  5. When it starts to smell very fragrant, slowly whisk in the coconut milk.
  6. Add the frozen chicken and bring to a simmer.
  7. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes. (This is why I use frozen chicken. It stays really moist even though you cook it for awhile plus it absorbs the curry flavor.)
  8. To serve, put some spaghetti squash in a bowl. Top with the zucchini and spoon on some chicken curry.
  9. Don’t wait to go get seconds.

All I know was that it was delicious and something completely different for a weeknight meal…….and as you probably have guessed….it was worth the wait!