Chicken Tikka Masala

Kraig and I love Indian food, but making it usually involves buying odd ingredients which are expensive and/or I'll never use again. So when I found this recipe, I knew I had to try it. The ingredients list contains nothing I'm unable to pronounce or find easily at Smith's. And, even better, it tastes AMAZING! This is for sure a keeper!

Marinade:

1 cup yogurt

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

1 tsp salt

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

4 long skewers

Sauce:

1 Tbsp butter

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 8oz. can tomato sauce

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 tsp cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, pepper, ginger, and 1 tsp salt. Stir in chicken, cover, refrigerate 1 hour. Preheat a grill for high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade. Grill 5 min. on each side.

For the sauce: Melt butter in a large skillet. Saute garlic for 1 minute. Season with 2 tsp cumin, paprika and 1 tsp salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve over rice.

Check out the original recipe here.

Italian Sausage and Cheese Tortellini Soup

This soup was so delish and filling. It had enough meat and cheese to make Kraig happy and enough veggies to make me happy. Perfection!

Italian Sausage and Cheese Tortellini Soup:

• 1-2 tsp olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausages, formed into small balls
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 stalks of celery, diced
• 4-5 carrots, peeled and diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 9 oz package of cheese tortellini
• 8 cups of chicken broth
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Place the Italian sausage balls into the Dutch oven and cook, stirring often to prevent sticking, for 1-2 minutes. Remove the balls to a bowl, set aside. Add a bit more olive oil to the Dutch oven if needed then add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring often, making sure to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, for 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the chicken broth and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the turkey Italian sausage balls and their juices to the soup as well as the cheese tortellini. Cook for 10 minutes then add the spinach and basil. Taste and re-season if needed. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

This recipe is originally from this blog.

in honor of cinco de mayo...

Sopapillas

{via}

• 1 ¾ cup plain flour
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2/3 cup milk
• Hot vegetable oil for frying
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• Honey – optional

Mix dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Add the milk and knead for 1 minute on floured surface. Let dough set for one hour. Roll dough into large rectangle 1/8” thickness. Use a pizza cutter to cut 2” wide strips of dough, then cut strips into 2” squares, then cut squares diagonally in half.
Mix sugar and cinnamon in a shallow baking dish and set aside.
Heat 4 cups vegetable oil in deep fryer. When oil reaches 375 degrees, drop dough triangles into hot oil. They should rise to the surface, and puff, then brown on the bottom very quickly. Use tongs to quickly turn sopapillas over. When dough is golden brown on both sides, remove from oil carefully, and place on paper towels. While sopapillas are still very warm, put them in the cinnamon and sugar mixture and spoon mixture over sopapillas to thoroughly coat them.

Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or to taste
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 (6 ounce) mahi mahi fillets (I think salmon or chicken would be great too!)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a shallow glass dish, stir together the honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic and olive oil. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper, and place them into the dish. If the fillets have skin on them, place them skin side down. Cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes to marinate.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove fish from the dish, and reserve marinade. Fry fish for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, turning only once, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fillets to a serving platter and keep warm. (Instead of frying the fish, I baked it at 425 for 15 minutes. And I loved the way it turned out!)
3. Pour reserved marinade into the skillet, and heat over medium heat until the mixture reduces to a glaze consistently. Spoon glaze over fish, and serve immediately.

Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto

Okay, I made this quite some time ago but I just never got around to posting the recipe. It takes a lot of TLC but it is 110% worth it!!!

Total time: 1 hour

Serves 10 as a side or 5 as a main dish

Ingredients:

4 Tbs butter

2 Tbs olive oil

1/2 whole large yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups arborio rice, uncooked

8 whole sundried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained and minced

1 cup dry white wine (optional)

7 cups low sodium chicken broth

salt as needed

freshly ground black pepper

1 cup parmesan, freshly grated

1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

fresh basil (optional)

Directions:

Heat broth (note: it's important the broth be low sodium) in a saucepan or in a microwave safe pitcher. Set aside. Heat butter and olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add dry rice. Stir to coat and cook for 3 minutes, stirring gently. Pour in wine. Stir and cook over medium-low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add in minced sundried tomatoes and stir. Then begin adding the broth, one cup at a time, stirring gently while the rice absorbs the liquid each time. Repeat this until the rice is done - it usually takes between 6 and 8 cups of broth. The rice should have a slight bite to it, but not be crunchy at all. Remove from heat, then stir in parmesan cheese and heavy cream. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve as a main dish with a salad, or as a side dish with staek, chicken, or fish.

Recipe via Pioneer Woman

Chicken Tortilla Stacks

Ok, so this recipe doesn't have a lot of measurements, so just eyeball and do most of it to taste. But it is so dang good! Kraig was just dying with happiness when he was eating it. So give it a try.

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts

3 c cheese

1 red pepper (chopped)

Green onions (chopped)

Cilantro (chopped to taste)

Refried beans

Sour cream

1 pkg. taco seasoning

Flour tortillas

Directions:

Boil chicken, shred and mix with red pepper, cilantro, and onions. Mix beans, sour cream, and taco seasoning, and spread on a tortilla. Layer chicken mixture, then cheese and top with another tortilla and put beans on that one. Layer everything again and again until you run out of everything. Top with a dry tortilla and bake @ 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes. Use a pizza cutter to slice and serve hot. Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes 24 muffins

Ingredients:

2 1/4 c flour

1 1/2 c sugar

3/4 c cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 c sour cream

1 c milk

1/2 c vege or canola oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

In a small bowl, remove two tablespoons of flour from the 2 1/4 cup and mix with the chocolate chips. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a different bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips mixture. Fill lined or greased cupcake pan 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 325 degrees F for 18 to 24 minutes. Muffins are done when toothpick comes out clean. Cook on wire rack, dust with powdered sugar if desired.