Chicken Tikka Masala

I love the chicken tikka masala at Bombay House so when I came across this recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe I had to give it a try.  Paired with fresh cilantro (and a little sour cream) it was delicious.  The recipe made so much sauce that we used the leftover to make pizzas a few days later - also good and unique!

Chicken Tikka Masala
  
Masala Marinade:

• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• Salt and freshly ground pepper 

Chicken:

• 2 pounds chicken breasts (about 3-4 chicken breasts)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup blanched whole almonds
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 16-ounce can tomato sauce
• Pinch of sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream

1. In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cayenne and turmeric. Season with salt and pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon each). Using a sharp knife, make a few shallow slashes in each piece of chicken. Add the chicken to the marinade, turn to coat and refrigerate covered overnight.
2. In a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add the almonds and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a plate and let cool completely. In a food processor, pulse the almonds until finely ground.
3. In a large enameled cast-iron dutch oven or a large pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garam masala, chili powder and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juices, the tomato sauce and the sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Cover partially and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes. While the mixture begins to simmer, remove the chicken from the marinade and cut into bite-sized pieces. Throw the chicken into the pot of simmering tomato sauce. Continue simmering/cooking the chicken, partially covered, for an additional 10-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced and thickened just slightly. Add the cream and ground almonds and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes longer. Serve with lots of fresh cilantro over hot, steamed rice. *And if you're weird like us, or need to tone down the heat, add a dollop of sour cream!

Cheesy Zucchini Rice

The two zucchini plants in our garden have been producing a ton and although I could eat straight steamed zucchini every day, my family is not so fond of it.  I've had to get creative in how I use it.  This recipe makes a great side dish and you could go heavy or light on the zucchini depending on what your family will tolerate.

Cheesy Zucchini Rice

1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium or 2 small zucchini, grated on a box grater or with a food processor (no need to peel beforehand)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 tablespoons milk, if needed

In a medium saucepan, combine the rice and chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and let the rice simmer for 15-20 minutes until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Remove the rice from the heat and stir in the grated zucchini, cheese, and garlic powder.  Let it sit on the stove covered for a few minutes so the cheese can melt and the zucchini can soften.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add a tablespoon or so of milk to adjust the texture if needed. Serve warm.

Lentil and Rice Casserole

I don't make too many casseroles these days but I will definitely be making this one again.  My neighbor Lauren gave me this recipe and it was delicious!  We added sour cream, tortilla chips and cilantro but it also tastes great plain.  I think Lauren sometimes adds salsa, guacamole and olives, which I'm sure is great too!

Lentil and Rice Casserole

3 C. chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
3/4 C. lentils, cleaned and picked over
1/2 C. brown rice, uncooked
3/4 C. fresh onion
1/2 t. basil
1/4 t. oregano
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 C. cheese

1.  Combine all ingredients except cheese in a casserole dish.

2.  Cover and bake in preheated 300 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.

3.  At the last 20-30 minutes of baking, sprinkle cheese all over.

Peanut Ginger Chicken with Mango Salsa & Coconut Rice

I made this the other night because I had some mangoes in my fridge that were really ripe.  The dish blends all kinds of great flavors together and I thought it was delicious.  It's really rather simple to make too if you break it up into three parts: marinate the chicken overnight, prepare the salsa in the afternoon, and then prepare the rice and cook the chicken just before dinner time.

Peanut Ginger Chicken with Mango Salsa & Coconut Rice

Peanut Ginger Chicken Marinade
3-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or you can use tenders
½ cup boiling water
½ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup bottled chili sauce (I found this with the Asian food in a small bottle...there were various kinds and I opted for a sweet one...but there are definitely ones with kick too.)
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. olive oil
2 T. vinegar
1 T. grated fresh ginger or 1 t. ground ginger

In a medium mixing bowl, gradually stir water into peanut butter.  Stir in chili sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, vinegar, and ginger.  Add chicken; stir to coat it with marinade. Chill in refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.


Mango Salsa
1 cup chopped fresh mango
1 cup peeled, seeded, and diced cucumber
3 ½ T. sugar
1 T. canola or olive oil
1 T. vinegar
1 T. lime juice
½ c. fresh cilantro, chopped


In a medium mixing bowl, combine chopped mango, cilantro, cucumber, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.

Coconut Rice
2 c. coconut milk (I used the stuff in a can, also found with the Asian food.)
1 ½ c. white rice
1 c. water
3 ½ T. sugar
½ t. salt 

Combine the coconut milk, rice, water, sugar, and salt for the rice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir once, then cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Fluff with a fork, cover, and keep warm until serving. (You can also use your rice cooker.)

To Serve:
At dinner time, grill the chicken.  You can also broil the chicken in a broiler safe pan lined with tin foil.  Just make sure if you do it this way that your chicken isn't too thick or it will burn before it's cooked through.  Spoon extra marinade on chicken and stick under broiler (about 10-12" from broiler) and bake until slightly blacked on one side and then flip over, spoon more marinade on and broil on that side until cooked through.  Serve chicken with the mango salsa over the hot coconut rice. 

Cheesy Skillet Chicken and Rice

I did not plan ahead at all for Sunday's dinner and had to come up with something quick.  This meal came together in no time and tasted great.  We haven't eaten rice in a really long time and both Ben and I enjoyed our long lost friend.  (We ate rice a ton in the early years of our marriage!)  The recipe calls for green beans but I added broccoli instead.  You could use whatever vegetable sounds good to you.

Cheesy Skillet Chicken and Rice

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces white button mushrooms, brushed clean and quartered or sliced (I omitted.)
4 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 ½ cups long grain white rice (I used calrose - sticky rice.)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ pound frozen or fresh green beans (Can substitute broccoli or other vegetable(s).)
1 cup shredded sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese


Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is rippling and hot. Carefully lay each chicken breast in the skillet and cook until the chicken is well browned on the first side, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken with a pair of tongs and let it brown on the second side, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Drain all but about 1-2 tablespoons oil from the pan.

Return the pan to medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, scraping the browned bits off the bottom and edges of the pan, until the mushrooms begin to soften and start to brown, about 6-8 minutes. Add the rice and continue to cook until the edges of the rice turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken to the pan and cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the rice is mostly cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the skillet again, brushing off any rice that sticks to the chicken back into the skillet. Cover the chicken with foil to keep warm. Stir the green beans into the skillet, stir the mixture well, cover and continue to cook on low until the beans and rice are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.