Taylor Amundson opened her home to share this delicious dish and discuss cross-cultural hospitality. She and her husband Josiah have three boys under four years old. Together, their daily mission remains to glorify the Lord in making disciples, in and out of their home. In the future they are seeking to be sent in that endeavor to work cross-culturally. That work has not been on hold while they live in Spokane, however. They live a life devoted to being “salt and light” to their neighbors and to the refugee community in Spokane.
Taylor recounts that in their early times of marriage, they didn’t have much, but their door was open. That sentiment has become their motto through whatever living situations they’ve been blessed with.
“My hands are full, but they are not too full to invite people in,” she says. “And I am so thankful I get the opportunity to stay home full-time with my boys, and I really strive to have a home that may not always be clean, but it's always open.”
The Amundsons host youth students for Bible studies and fellowship, and even invite whole families of Muslim refugees over for halal meals like this one.
Hospitality for Taylor in this season has looked like taking advantage of her family size by doing things with her boys to serve others, teaching them to be inquisitive of their guests, and opening opportunities for people to see the way their Christian family humbly lives out the gospel. “It's not about us, it's about Christ in all of this. That's definitely what we want to remember in all of hospitality. But, we are also called to love our neighbor. And there are very tangible and practical ways with doing that.”
Taylor Amundson holds her Coconut Chicken Tandoori with Oven Baked Rice and Naan, which she often makes for her family as well as guests who observe halal diets.
Coconut Chicken Tandoori
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons garam masala
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 1/2 teaspoons salt (adjust to taste)
2 teaspoons turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional: I skip it for the kids)
1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
Directions
In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients except chicken to create a smooth sauce.
Place the chicken in the slow cooker and pour the sauce over it. Move the chicken around to make sure it is well coated on all sides.
Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours.
Shred chicken (optional) before serving over rice.
Oven Baked Rice
Ingredients
2 cups long-grain white rice
4 tablespoons butter
Salt to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread dry rice in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Boil 4 cups of water (some will evaporate, so you’ll end up with about 3 ½ cups). I use an electric kettle, which makes this quick and easy.
Cut the butter into 1-inch squares and place on top of the rice. Sprinkle salt evenly over the top.
Pour boiling water over the rice. Cover immediately and tightly with foil so the steam stays in the baking dish.
Bake for 25 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before fluffing with a fork and serving.
Naan
Ingredients
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
6 tablespoons cooking oil (I use avocado)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
5-6 cups all-purpose flour (slightly more for shaping)
6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, add the warm water, yeast and sugar. The water should be between 110 and 120 degrees.
Cover the bowl and let stand for 5-10 minutes, until the yeast is bubbly.
Add the oil, yogurt, eggs, salt and 1 1/2 cups of flour. Then, slowly mix in the rest of the flour a cup at a time.
If you are using a stand mixer, use the dough hook to knead until dough gathers into a ball around the hook and is slightly sticky, usually about 3-5 minutes on low speed. Or, knead by hand for several minutes, adding flour if needed, until the dough is not sticky.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it. Keep it somewhere warm or even on the counter. Do not refrigerate it! Let the dough rise until it doubles in size. This usually takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Place dough on a slightly floured countertop and cut into 10-12 pieces.
Roll each piece out to about ½-inch thickness for quick cooking. The shape doesn’t matter.
In a small bowl, melt the butter and add the minced garlic. This will be brushed onto each piece after cooking.
Preheat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Naan can be cooked dry, so I usually only add oil for the first piece to grease the pan.
Add 1 to 2 pieces of naan to the skillet. They cook quickly, so once you see the dough get bubbly, flip them. Usually, they’re done after about 20-30 seconds on each side.
Brush each piece of naan with a generous amount of the butter/garlic mixture immediately after removing from heat.
Repeat steps 10-11 for remaining pieces of dough. Serve warm.
Living Faith hospitality editor Jessica Horning is a wife and mother of two boys. She owns a business teaching sourdough classes. Contact her at mrs.jessicahorning@gmail.com
